Exile's End: Day 24

Word Count: 144,003

Summary of Events:
Chapter 47:
Æliyäu discussed possibly stopping at whatever town they encountered next to get information as to their distance from the border, but Thårijn refused to stop and got into a bit of an argument with Æliyäu and then rode off. As he was riding around Thårijn saw a village, but there was space for them to get around the village in the daylight so he gave instructions and then came across a party of Förstenräl children playing and had to convince them to leave without telling their parents. He got all of them but one little boy to leave before Ubäl charged with intent to kill the child who Thårijn got safely away before stopping Ubäl.
Chapter 48:
Æliyäu consulted his poorly-detailed map and estimated they were about halfway between Møkbæsted and the Kænjförst border and discussed with Gerhäardt the best place to get the most detailed, up-to-date map — the soldiers — although he didn't want to steal it from them. Thårijn was then told by some men from toward the back of the group that a party of Förstenräl men who weren't soldiers were pursuing them and so they got everyone to start going faster. Bæjern, as he rode, thought about how his relationship with Thårijn had changed in the past year, and how he thought Thårijn was the perfect Eikenenshåldjgråvenwød.

Excerpt of the Day:
"Fear caused Thårijn's insides to feel a chill as the men approached. He was sure they wouldn't be coming unless there was something was amiss or awry. The two riders slowed as they approached. Neither of them were familiar to Thårijn.
"What be it that brings you here in such haste?" Thårijn asked.
"In the night prior, as we were guarding, we could hear the sound of people, they sounded nigh — but were not of our people — and they were making merry," the younger man of the two said while the elder caught his breath.
Thårijn nodded. No one of their people had made merry the entire journey. There was no point, reason, or sense to merrymaking. Things were still too serious, too dangerous, hanging too far in the balance.
"When it was that my guard ended I remained on and told he, my replacement, to go seek out and see what he could find," the elder said, his breath caught.
"Only just I've managed to catch up," the younger said.
"And what did you find?" Thårijn asked, although the fear within him didn't really want to know.
"A party of Förstenräl — they had arms and armour, but it was not as we made for the soldiers, I almost am of the mind that they forged it for themselves, I would not say that they are military men," the younger replied. "They are following our trail, they were camping right on top of it, and they were rollicking and merrymaking with such a din I could have stood in their presence and only if their eyes would have seen me would they have known my presence."
The child. Surely it was the child. The child, the boy who had wanted his necklace, he had told his parents and they had rallied a party of men to go after them because of Ubäl threatening his life.
"Did they state their intent?" Thårijn asked.
"From all that I could understand of their inebriated language it sounds as though they pursue us to slaughter us because of our threat to them, I do not understand what they mean," the younger replied.
"Ubäl," Thårijn replied. "Son of Mæchäl, descendant of Øbjen of the house of Kæs. I had encountered children playing in the woods and I was telling them to get out of the woods, but not to tell their parents, and I had convinced all of the children but one. He wanted a token from me to guarantee his promise to remain silent, but I had nothing to give him, and I could not give him what he wanted. Ubäl came after him with his sword drawn and finally convinced the child to flee for his life. Ubäl would've continued to pursue the child had I not halted him.""

Mæchäl: may-call