[h3][u]At the Crossroad[/u][/h3]
[b]Life is full of hard choices, sometimes too hard that you'd rather roll the dice and let fate do the rest. [/b]
______


Carmen Friston expected many things to happen in thirteen days since they crossed the border, but all in one day? Not even in his worst dream. For more than thirty minutes the captain just sat there, sometimes with eyes closing, and sometimes he was wide awake in silent vigilance. Only the sound of owls and clutterings from his teammates kept their night from becoming deathly desolate. 

A sharp chill snapped him awake from his long contemplation. The night air was cold enough, and now Leinceleste's self-ice-entombment arose warry on him. Was she still alive? Had someone mended her wounds? 

A moment later, he knew he had nothing to fear, except the presence of an ice block that made their camp chilly. 

"[b]Everyone. Gather around, I want to speak about our next plan."[/b] He announced with misty breaths. Once in a while, he glanced at the ice, seeing a sleeping princess inside with an exhausted look. The campfire was thankfully high and bright enough to keep cold at bay. 

[b]"I know we just moved on from a great difficulty,"[/b] he began, pausing to clear his throat, and intending to make his next words less cryptic. [b]"We can stick on the off-beaten path and arrive in Katwiz in half a day if we depart tomorrow morning. But that's the least of my concerns. There is a possibility that the Red Stripes are controlling the town and that means we have to deal with them again regardless."[/b] 

___

The man was still visibly wounded, and not at all tended, but the resoluteness in his voice remained unwavering, and everyone there could see that if it was up to Carmen, he would storm any citadel, come hell or high water. The determination that almost crossed into total zealously, reined only by modest logic and thoughtfulness like what he was demonstrating right now. The question was, what was the other's opinion on this?