With the more tenacious apprentices on the ancient wall and their attention towards the Duke’s Tower, that was about the only ti the knights could et without drawing their curiosity.
Sir Gunnar gazed at the backs of Irene and Leif, and he gave a small nod, silently convincing himself that this was the right decision.
Knowing the two were definitely distracted by their duties, he strode forward to et Commander Lothian; his second in command, Sir Williamson; the Commander of the Royal Knights, Sir Antoine; Sir Sven; himself; and even Felix.
As he pushed through the flap of the tent’s opening, the others were already there, standing with grim expressions on their faces as they spoke with each other.
Rosalind had been bedridden for a month, but the mont she was physically well, the knights sought her help in mapping out the Duke’s Tower.
At first, they weren’t going to tell any of the Knights of Chemois about their plans to try and infiltrate the place and free those still prisoner to the monsters, but they thought it might be best to at least warn the highest ranked from the north so that they could prepare themselves to block the apprentices from going along.
Allowing the northerners in on the plans ant that they could further confirm a few more things about the tower that even Rosalind wasn’t privy to. After all, she hadn’t been there nearly as long as soone like Sir Gunnar or even Felix.
Commander Lothian handed the mapped out tower to Sir Gunnar.
"Is there anything else you would like to add?" he wondered. "I know we discussed it before, but if you rember anything else, perhaps anything secret, it would do us well."
"Duke Arlin wasn’t a secretive man," Gunnar admitted. "His wife was another story, but she spent most of her ti in the south. What she left in Hydrogia is of more interest to you, believe ."
However, he still looked over the map for good asure for a few monts, even allowing the other two northerners in the room a mont with it before he shrugged it off and handed it back to the Commander.
"As expected, nothing else," Gunnar admitted. "Then that ans tomorrow..."
"Tomorrow we will dig up one of the tunnels and infiltrate it," Commander Lothian explained. "Myself, Rosalind, Rosalind’s Guard, Sir Trenton, and two of your knights, Sir Joseph and Sir Louis."
Tensions had been high between the knighthoods.
"No Royal Knights?" Gunnar asked with a sneer.
It was t with distaste by Commander Antoine, who already had his arms crossed, remaining rigid as he often was.
"His Majesty’s orders are for the Royal Knights to remain as backup and nothing more," Commander Antoine insisted.
"I’m sure it’s nothing to do with all the natural-born nobles in your knighthood at all, Commander," Gunnar snapped.
"That’s enough," Commander Lothian ordered. "The arrangents have already been decided."
"Sir Williamson, Sven, and I will be on the wall when your group leaves then," Gunnar assured him.
"At sunrise?" Callum asked.
"At sunrise," Gunnar confird. Then he turned to Felix. "For now, I don’t want Iro, Leif, Bren, William, or any of the other apprentices or squires to catch wind of this until it’s already co to pass. They will undoubtedly volunteer themselves. I don’t think they’re prepared to witness what has beco of the Duke’s Tower. Admittedly, I don’t think I am either. Rosalind is only going because she knows of the present arrangents."
"Yes, sir," Felix responded, his voice lacking any sort of emotion.
However, his face was serious. He didn’t like the thought of hiding anything from his two dearest friends, but in tis of war, rationale went out the window.
After his experiences in the Duke’s Tower, he knew he didn’t want to go back into the place that was a mausoleum of Agnes. Every corner they kissed in, every room she cleaned so proudly, not even the stairs she jumped off of and into his arms he wanted to see. He didn’t know how he would ever go back into that place that had taken everything from him.
"Trenton’s apprentice was the one who spotted the lights and now guards Rosalind?" Gunnar asked Commander Lothian.
"His na is Henry," the Commander responded. "Kids a low-born like ."
"Doesn’t matter to ," Gunnar responded with a light chuckle that didn’t fit the seriousness of the situation. "Seems to be the epicenter of trouble. I know a few other apprentices who would get along with that sort of person."
Gunnar pointedly looked at Felix, who only seed to silently sigh at this.
At this point, it was a thorn at his side that he was still an apprentice.
"If you thought it was irritating to have a peasant commander in Peroda, we will see what that kid amounts to," Commander Lothian responded with a smirk. "He will figure out a way to use that recklessness for good."
The comnt was mostly for Commander Antoine, who, while he was the knight that Callum apprenticed underneath, still didn’t trust peasants for anything. His ti in the palace had tainted his bias for the rest of his life.
"Then we leave the Duke’s Tower to you," Gunnar responded. "Please bring us back a piece of hope."
"We could all use it," Sir Sven agreed.
"I promise nothing," Commander Lothian responded, ever the realist.
The highest-ranked knights on the battlefield finally went off on their separate ways.
Shortly after, Irene and Felix got off the wall and went to their tent barrack, where they fell asleep easily since the weather was no longer cold and sleeping was actually comfortable.
Gunnar only slept until he felt Felix pat his shoulder.
From that point, he knew it was ti he went to guard with the others as promised.
When the knight was finally on top of the ancient wall segnt, he looked on as the first rays of sunlight peered over the east and gave faint light to the group that was moving slowly towards the tunnel with no promise that they would ever return.
That was what being a knight was about—that was why they were all there in the first place.
Sacrifice for the people they protected was the most worthy.
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