ROYALLY UNFAIR .

THIRTEEN - MAPS AND ROUTES

thirteen . maps and routes

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After breakfast, Alesha handed all four of her guests a small bag, packed with sachets of porridge and some fruit to last them a few days, some bandages, clothes (new ones as well as the ones they'd been wearing when they arrived) and a bottle of water each.

"Please do try and save the food and water — eventually you'll be far away from any village, and I can't say the people who live in cities are especially kind," Alesha warned.

"You'll also need this," Harrison passed Jeongguk a map, "It's a copy of a map I've made myself. It's limited, but it will get you to the queen's castle."

"Are you sure you want to go there?" Alesha asked for the third time that day, immensely worried.

"We need to try," Pixie gave her a small smile, "Thank you so much for your help, though."

"Yeah," Jordan smiled, "You've both been so good to us. You two as well!" She grinned at Felicity and Anorak.

"It's nothing," Alesha smiled, her arm around Felicity (who beamed happily).

"It was nice meeting you," Jeongguk smiled, and Taehyung chimed in agreement.

After reluctant goodbyes had been bid, the four left.

"Where will we sleep tonight?" Jordan asked, walking between Jeongguk and Pixie, Jeongguk examining the map with a crinkled nose.

"Jeongguk?" Taehyung asked, "How far do you think we can travel before it gets dark?"

"I don't fucking know," Jeongguk sighed and held out the map for someone to take, "It's really difficult to read."

Pixie took the map from Jeongguk, scanning it. "We have a choice. If we walk East, we can reach a village — the furthest one out. If we walk North-West, we can reach the woods by night. Going through the woods is far quicker."

"If we go through the woods we'll get eaten by cannibals," Jordan put bluntly, rubbing her tired eyes.

"You're too paranoid. I say we go to the woods, it's better to get home quick." Jeongguk suggested.

"It's better to get home full stop," Taehyung said, looking at the other three, "We should take the safest route, definitely. I don't want to die."

"You're not going to die, Taehyung. Why do you think the woods are dangerous? Have you even been there?"

"Actually, before we got to the cottage, Taehyung and I passed an area of woods and we saw some pretty creepy men," Pixie murmured.

"I changed my mind!" Jordan chirped, "It'll take ages if we go to the village, Lucifer will probably freak out when he notices all four of us are gone and send out a search party or something. And how will we explain everything when we get back?"

"Good point," Taehyung murmured, conflicted now.

"We're terrible at making decisions," Pixie murmured, looking back down at the map and seeing if she could work out a third option they would all agree on.

"Let's appoint a leader who makes the choice?" Jordan suggested, her voice hopeful.

"Yeah," Jeongguk nodded, "I volunteer."

"I only said that because I wanted to be leader," Jordan mumbled, looking up at him, "unvolunteer please."

"No," Jeongguk grinned.

"Jeongguk just unvolunteered!" Jordan looked at the other two, "I guess that means I'm leader."

"Let's face it, Jordan. Pixie should be leader. She actually knows what she's doing," Taehyung said simply, looking down at Pixie who was too busy examining the map to pay attention to the conversation.