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There was quite a bit going on at the table, and by a few of the looks passed back and forth Videl had the almost sneaking suspicion that some of the people there weren’t being entirely forthcoming--or forthcoming at all honestly. Draya kept shooting Will these accusatory half-glares, and the man looked as though he wanted to slump down under the table away from her watchful eye. Videl would’ve pitied him if he were the type. No one was here for pity, however, they all walked into this, what was most likely to be a mess, with their eyes wide open. He noticed Eiris grin mischievously at Zalek when he commented on preferring her first incantation, and watched her nod in thanks to his words, letting her lips stay curled up for just a second longer than what would seem 'casually friendly'. If Videl cared enough, he’d warn Zalek to sleep with one eye open because if this particular Siren took a real liking to him she might just eat him instead of try to sleep with him. Zalek didn’t seem careless, however, in fact Videl got the sense this man was hiding quite a bit behind that relatively unbothered exterior.<br/>
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With everyone voicing their consent to this journey, Videl took a moment to scan the map and decide the best path to take. Initially, when he didn’t know who was going to show, he was just going to take a boat with Eiris up to Ennes and see if that was the first escape route for the Prince. After all, leaving by boat would be safer than by horse or on foot, you could see a ship following you from a few miles away, whereas horses were unreliable unless properly trained, and the same went for your companions. If their ears weren’t trained to pick up on the slightest of noises, you wouldn’t know you were followed until it was too late. Videl could only hope that with Will, the supposed ‘good scout’, Draya and Zalek who obviously had some form of training, if not to different extents, Haaf and himself, it would be enough to not fall into an ambush. He didn’t know what actual mercenary skills or combat familiarity the witch and the foreign woman had, but he almost immediately counted Eiris out because, despite being his ‘companion’, she didn’t really care about anyone other than herself, and would sleep through a war so long as <i>her </i>life wasn’t being threatened.<br/>
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“If I were the Prince.” He started again, looking around at the five faces before him, “I would head as far from Evidalier as possible in order to collect myself and figure out my next plan of attack. Of course I would also factor in recognition if I were to stay too long in any towns or kingdoms closest to where I’m from, so…” His brows furrowed, and he pulled one hand from the map's corner--replacing it with his tankard--in order to point to the upper east side of the map; Avendeer. “If the Prince is seeking revenge, he’ll go here to find weapons or someone with the magical prowess to overthrow his uncle. It’s far enough away from here to give him time to consider his next course of action, and is also a coastal town, so escape by boat will be simple if he was ambushed.” he dragged his finger back in a straight line to Evidalier; the path led them through Estonia, Furrows Fields and Draver’s Lot, “This would be the simplest route--”<br/>
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<i>“If the Prince was an idiot.”</i> Eiris cut in with a bored sigh,<i> “Which, given that he was raised with a silver spoon in his mouth, who’s to say! He could be. Anyone could follow him going that route, since it’s the most expected. If he has even an </i>ounce <i>of intelligence, he’ll go this way…”</i> She ran her finger slowly from Evidalier to Hopecrest, then to Bellblade--ignoring the uncomfortable look on Videl’s face when she paused on that particular kingdom--and up through the Badlands, finally resting it on Avendeer. When her finger landed there, the redhead grinned triumphantly, <i>“Only people with a death wish go through the Badlands, which is why it’s the perfect place for the Prince to go. No one would follow him and if they did, it’d be obvious because those mountains are a real bitch to traverse. I know we’ve all heard the stories.”</i> She pulled her hand away in satisfaction, locking eyes with Videl, who was almost glaring at her.<br/>
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With an almost inaudible groan, he ran his free hand down his face, “You know, Eiris, if you let me <i>finish</i>, I would’ve said that we weren’t going to take my initial route, since it was the simplest and therefore easiest. I’m not an idiot, and since there’s so many of us, I need to plan this accordingly. Do you have anything else <i>worthwhile </i>to add?” He lowered his hand back onto the table and looked back at her, one eyebrow raised expectantly. Eiris, who was pretending to not notice him in favor of examining Will--who she was still curious about, as curious as she was about almost everyone here--blinked and then shrugged. <i>“Well, since you asked…”</i> She pointed to Haaf, then Sylvia, and finally Will, <i>“If we have to search Hopecrest for the Prince or find out if he passed through, they can’t come inside. And I’m not being biased.”</i> She added, looking at Sylvia when she said it,<i> “They don’t let in outsiders who aren’t human or use magic, even the slightest ‘thing’ that might lead them to believe you aren’t human will have them turning you away. And if our covers are blown when we're inside and they find out one of us isn’t human it’ll be a real pain in the ass.”</i><br/>
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She pulled her hands back from the map, pushing her hair away from her face before speaking again, this time with a little more bite,<i> “The ‘good scout’ over there smells too much like a mutt for it to be normal, Haaf will be mistaken for something he apparently </i>isn’t<i>, and Sylvia reeks of magic, so they’ll know instantaneously. Everyone else here seems human enough to pass.”</i> Eiris tilted her head towards Will and Haaf almost apologetically, <i>“No offense, of course. Just would hate to see anyone here getting strung up in the town square before we’ve even really started. You agree don’t you, Videl? We can’t risk it after all.”</i><br/>
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Videl scratched the bottom of his chin, seeming to be in deep thought. They could always skip Hopecrest entirely, what proof was there that Prince Casimir even went through there? Of course, it is a perfect place to lie low for a day or two, so long as you’re human…”I can’t say for certain.” He finally told her, addressing the group then, “If any of you have any ideas in regards to our route, now's the time to speak up. The sooner we find him the better. And if we take too long putting together a half-baked plan we’ll fail before we even get started. Or worse.” Worse being the Prince’s demise, of course. Or <i>Lord Aeldredus’</i> demise by his nephew's hand before Videl gets his gold...the original goal's completion notwithstanding. </span>