The stagecoache walked in Jorel's direction, each foot raised above the mud as the sparce armour on his body creaked.
"I'm deeply sorry for keeping you waiting sir!"
He bowed with one hand off to the side.
"Dorl sent you I presume?" Jorel relaxed his hand from his sword's hilt.
"Yes sir." The man nodded his head.
"He also said I should deliver a message to you." He bowed slightly once more.
"He says that he apologizes for not coming back, that something urgent came up…" The stagecoach said sternly all while never did he look Jorel in the eye.
Hmm… probably with Isan…
Even better that he didn't come!
I hope the blood loss affects Isan!
Then without wasting another moment, Jorel passed the stagecoach and went to the carriage's door. The handles felt like it could fall off at any moment, he turned them downwards with little effort and entered inside.
Although it looked subpar----The roof corroded, the seats patched with cloth and a tiny spec of cobwebs in the corner. The inside still seemed to have been recently cleaned. There's even enough room for Jorel to store his gear----If he had them.
But this is better than that stupid horse and how defiant it was.
I really just want to go back home----To leave Slov.
Jorel swallowed his spit and sat down, the stagecoach closed the door behind him shut. The chairs felt loose and its insides, sparce.
"Hyaaahh!" The stagecoaches outside shouted as the sound of the familiar flickering of reins echoed.
The carriage dredged in the mud at a snail's pace. But it was enough for Jorel to still look at the town through the stained window----A complete sore in his eye! The hushed whispers and fearful glances of the peasants outside penetrated he hollowed wood.
Jorel's body, moving along with the bumps on the road as he felt the thick mud vibrations on his behind. His eyelids slowly about to meet each other while he had a feeling of a curse being carried off by angels into the clouds.
Father...Zara...
...
*Clank* *Clank*
Days have passed since Jorel's departure from Slov, the carriage still held firm as the horses still pushed forward through a forest.
*Clop* *Clop* *Clop*
The horses' hooves planted into the dirt as the sun above shined on their mane.
"...How much longer till we reach the Jonke region?" The stagecoach on the left asked, his face looking exhausted.
"I'd say…" The stagecoach on the right reached for a map on the right.
"All together it's been seven days since we left Slov." His finger pointed on a symbol of Slov on the map.
"After a while we stopped at Kosh for a break." The left stagecoach pointed at the map.
"Yeah and then after moving on we stopped at Yona to restock for supplies." The right stagecoach's finger on the symbol of Yona.
"So since we left Yona two days ago…" He put his hand on his chin.
"We should be just like three days away from entering the Jonke region if we continue along this path." He smiled as he pointed upward, straight at the road.
"Three days?!" The left stagecoach coughed, he beat his chest to stabilise himself.
"That's still too much time!" He frownd as he gripped the reins.
"I can't even spend just another day with you know who." He whispered as his thumb pointed behind him at the carriage.
"Hmmm…I know… me neither." The right stagecoach mumbled as he closed his eyes.
"There's gotta be some way to reduce that time---A shortcut?" The left stretched his neck trying to get a closer glimpse at the map.
"Wow…Careful man." The right moved the map a little farther away from the left.
"Urghhnn!" The left grunted while he slanted more to the right and collects the paper forcefully, almost slipped off his own horse.
"Haha." He laughd while he stabilises himself.
"You gotta be more careful!" The right scolded the left as he frowns.
"What if you fell?" He raised his stretches his fingers with his shoulders slightly up.
"But I didn't." He nodded his head and looked at the right.
"Now let's see here…" He flapped the map and stares at its contents.
On the map, there was a red mark on it, that signified where they were at the moment and there was also red line traced from Slov in the Idan region downwards to the south---Signifying their destination.
"Hmm…It seems there is a shortcut!" The left grinned as he gripped the map harder.
"What? Are you sure?" The right's eyebrows raised as he leaned towards the left.
"Here see, If we take this path, it's definitely shorter." He showed the right as he traced with his finger.
"I see…But how sure are you that it's safe?" The right just looked at the left.
"It is! Because if it wasn't we would've been attacked by bandits or beasts way before now."
"And if its not, we ditch the kid and run."
"Because Charitas knows that I'm not dying cause of a kid." He nudged his head down and shined a part of his teeth.
"..." The right stagecoach bowed his head down, he looked at the reins in his hands.
---The end of chapter 19---