"What is my job, master Varius?" Logan asked.
"You will sneak around. Perhaps you have a talent for that," Varius said as he moved his step towards the altar. He turned his face towards Logan. "You will find out the exact culprits who want to remove me out of their way."
"As you order." Logan bowed and blended in the crowd which had gathered to listen to Varius.
He had called the soldiers to announce something. The people gathered there murmured among themselves.
"What is happening?"
"Why are we gathered here?"
Varius stepped up to the altar and raised up his hand to signal them to become silent.
"Soldiers," he began to speak. "I have come to know there are certain rumors about me circulating around, which are questioning my loyalty. I must tell you all that those rumors are baseless and false. Still, to maintain a sense of trust, I announce I will not be a candidate to lead you in this war. Choose anyone you see fit apart from me." He bowed and walked to leave the altar.
The soldiers began discussing among themselves.
"Hey, Commander Varius can not be a candidate? Are you kidding?"
"The rumors can not be true. He has been most loyal to King Hammer. He was loyal to him since the early days when he was a teenager."
"Yeah, you are right. The rumors must be false. We should get Commander Varius to be our leader."
"Yeah, we should get him."
"Yeah, you are right."
Varius could hear the words in his favor while going away from the altar. Logan noticed a smirk on his face when it all happened. He partly understood what he had done there. He had played with the psyche of people.
"How did this man trust me so easily?" Logan wondered before his eyes expanded in realization. "Wait, could it be he did not trust me at all? What if he uses me and disposes me off in the end?" He gulped when he realized this could be the case.
He suddenly felt as if someone stared at him among the crowds. He turned his head to find a young woman staring at him with a suspicious look. It was Lolofiya, but he did not know who she was.
"Why is she staring at me?" he wondered. "Does she think I am someone suspicious?" He thought to sneak away as he felt uncomfortable with her continuous stare.
The soldier gathered there had already gone to their own businesses. Logan, too, was about to walk away when a voice forced him to stop.
"Who are you?" It was Lolofiya who stood there with her arms crossed. "I have never seen you here."
Logan turned awkwardly, thinking about a believable lie to tell her. "I am Logan… uhh…" he looked up with a quizzical expression in search of a lie. "I am an old friend of Commander Varius. I guess you do not know me as we have met for the first time."
Lolofiya still stared at him with a brow raised.
"What? Did she see through me?" Logan thought.
"Understood." Lolofiya turned and began to walk away.
"Umm… miss? Can I know who you are?" Logan asked, as he thought it would make him sound more authentic.
Lolofiya did not bother to answer him and just walked away, resulting in Logan just getting the view of her back until she disappeared.
"What a b**ch!" he reacted with a sour face before he, too, decided to walk away.
***
Colt was in the healing tent, checking on the recovery of his brother. Rozerd lied down on his belly and his back and shoulders were bandaged.
"How is he?" Colt asked the doctor, who was examining him.
"He is out of danger now," the doctor said, making Colt take a breath of relief.
"When would he wake up?" he asked.
"It would take some time, but he would get up soon," the doctor assured.
Colt had a wide smile on his face now. "I can not thank you enough, doctor. I will get you a reward once this is all over."
The doctor bowed. "Thank you, my prince. But it is my duty to contribute to your struggle."
Colt nodded with a smile and headed out to give Kyte the good news of Rozerd's recovery. Just when he had walked out, a soldier came to him.
"My prince."
"What is it?"
"Sango has returned, and he has brought someone with him."
"Who is it?" Colt asked.
"My prince, it is master Gilbert," the soldier said. "He is asking to meet you."
The eyes of the young prince widened in surprise. "Old man Gilbert?" He asked the soldier in an excited tone. "Where is he? Tell me."
"Just outside, my prince. Near the horse feeding area," the soldier answered.
"Alright. You can go." Colt ran towards the told location in excitement. He had got two back to back good news. It could not be a better day for him.
Just when he reached there, he saw Gilbert asking the soldiers for him. He shouted there and then, "Old man!"
Gilbert looked at him, and his face lit up with relief and happiness. "My prince!"
Prince Colt ran to him and grabbed him in his arms tightly. They both had tears running down their face.
"I thought I had lost you," Colt said.
"I can give my life for you, my prince," Gilbert said. "But God wanted me to stay around you longer."
They both parted themselves.
Colt wiped away his tears. "How come you are with Sango? What had happened to you when we had separated?"
"I will tell you everything, my prince. Let us talk in a more comfortable place," Gilbert suggested.
"Yeah, let us go to my tent."
Colt led Gilbert to his tent.
***
Varius sat alone on a rock away from the camp. He thought about his further plans to counter his enemies when someone approached him.
"Are you sure, commander?"
He looked behind to see it was Lolofiya who had asked him. "Why are you here?"
She took her place beside him. "I am just here to talk." She looked at him. "Am I not allowed to?"
Varius looked away as he could not meet her eyes for more than a second. "Suit yourself."
She smiled. "Thank you. I had heard you earlier. Are you sure you do not want to take the duties of your king?"
"I have already stated earlier. There is a question mark on my loyalty," Varius said with a dense look. "I can not lead the soldier if they have doubt about my intentions."
Logan, meanwhile, had headed to empty his bladder in the nearby bushes. He stumbled upon the scene when he was returning to the camp. "Wait, is that Commander Varius?" He looked at the woman and recognized her. "It is her. The one who had talked to me earlier. What is she doing with him?" He wondered whether she was someone close to him.
"I understand your situation, commander," Lolofiya said to Varius. "But I know you are not that kind of person. I can see it in your eyes." She grabbed his hand in both of her palms, making him turn to her with a surprised face. "I know you are the only one who could take the position."
"Whoa, she grabbed his hand," Logan reacted in amazement. He could not hear what they were talking about. "Way to go, Varius. You have earned my respect, although I had not forgotten what you had done to me." He clenched his fist. "I will return your favor soon enough."
Varius could feel his heartbeat rushing. He just stared into her eyes without speaking a word before finally coming to his senses. "I do not think so."
She gave a wide smile. "But I am sure of it. I would love to fight under your orders."
"Would they go for a kiss?" Logan wondered while his eyes were oozing out in the hope of witnessing it. "Go for it." He sighed in disappointment when Varius pulled his hand away as he felt embarrassed. "What a waste, man."
"Ah, I am sorry, commander," Lolofiya said with an apologetic face. "I grabbed your hand without your permission."
"It is fine," Varius said and looked away.
Lolofiya stood up and began to leave. "I should go now." She bowed and walked away.
When she passed by the rock Logan was hiding behind, she called him out. "You can come out now, commander's friend." She did not stop to even look at him when he came out and just walked away.
Logan watched her back going away with a bewildered face. "How did she…" He turned his head to look at Varius staring at his hand, which the woman had held in her palms. "Just what is this woman? She feels so strange."
Lolofiya had a grin on her face when she had left Varius.