For Desmond, the battle he faced was different than Leonor's because it truly was a battle.
He had a miserable feeling within him once he gained clarity after his wife was doing better. He realized he had been selfish to so easily leave behind the men he had gone to Eirenguard with. They would surely get into trouble if Desmond left as he pleased.
Even though no one had told them they were being forced to stay, the mood of the Eirenguardian knights was dark. They already didn't trust anyone from Castille. It may be taken as some sort of plotting if they went back to the northern kingdom whenever they wanted.
It caused Desmond to travel more efficiently. He hiked down the coast until he found a break between rock faces he recognized and he was able to take a sharp eastern turn which sent him on a more direct path towards the fortress they had been staying at while waiting for the Commander to arrive.
