The trip back to camp was short.
Although the soldiers were well within high spirits, the overall mood of the group seemed to hang heavy and low, like all the energy had been sapped out of their bodies.
Kion rode on a horse to the side, downing his rations and water ravenously. An arm cast suspended his right arm across his chest, and a full body cast extended across his torso, covering the area where his ribs had been cracked.
He didn't seem to fare any better than his brother, whose head was wrapped tightly in bandages, the marks where the Egovore had taken root oozing with blood.
Meanwhile, the soldiers kept their distance from a sulking Kion, seeing that he was in no mood to talk to anyone.
In the crowd of moving soldiers, one particular soldier branched off of the group, not minding the heavy tension in the air not the darkened mood about the red-haired prince he was approaching.
"They look up to you, ya know…" Sir Gaius said when he got within talking range.
