n. the amniotic tranquility of being indoors during a thunderstorm, listening to waves of rain pattering against the roof like an argument upstairs, whose muffled words are unintelligible but whose crackling release of built-up tension you understand perfectly.

* * *

We've been travelling for almost three weeks already. According to the soldiers, we're about to reach the town of Concepcion in the next few days, as if I mind knowing since I don't even know my geography much.

The past weeks hadn't been easy, to be honest. We've met with General Manuel Tinio's brigade in Pozorrubio; however, we immediately left upon hearing that Americans had already entered the town. Whatever plan to join forces with General Tinio was unsuccessful, and the miles between the vanguard and the rearguard widens as they carried the countermeasure to slow down the American forces following on our tails and the sight of the rearguard from our position was no longer at sight. Addition to that, the trek starts to be steeper and there are days where we go on without any food or water.

The march is surely one that is new to all of us. Perhaps, even if I've been hiking in the real world, it will still be this hard, given the conditions. The fear that whenever we are to stop to rest, the Americans are closing the distance to reach us, and for the past few days, without food, we've been eating sugar cane instead. Whenever we are to arrive in a town, it is either we are to be welcomed or they run away from us; most of the time, it had been the latter.

Rain or shine, we continue the journey. Exhaustion starts to take a toll on us, and no one seems to be exempted from it.

One time, during our trek, Doña Hilaria, President Aguinaldo's wife, collapsed due to it. The President's voice, calling for help and the soldier's alerting the others that Doña Hilaria collapsed, seems to shake my own exhaustion a little bit. I am just a few meters away from where President Aguinaldo is kneeling to the ground with his wife on his arms; Felicidad just next to the two, as both Doctor Villa and Doctor Barcelona check her.

"Tubig sabi!" the President shouts, now much furious and in haste.

In front of me, the others had been clamoring in search of water. While behind me, someone shouts, "Pinatay niyo si Luna!"

"Hoy! Traydor ka rin. Tangina mo!" remarks another and as other voices follow, a fight ensues.

I don't need to look behind me to profess that they are really fighting one another. Due to my unresponsiveness, Goyo who immediately draws closer to the fight, pulls me behind him as he points his revolver at the soldiers fighting, angrily shouting, "Magsitigil kayo! Tayo!"

I take a quick look by his shoulders to find the soldiers slowly pulling themselves from one another, breaking the fight before it could end up with them pointing their rifles at one another.

Much ahead from where the President is, a soldier who've been guarding our guide reports in distress, "Si buntot tumakas!"

"Habulin niyo!" I hear Enteng orders, keeping in command.

"Wala bang nakikinig sa akin? Tubig sabi!" the President repeats his demand.

Goyo, still in front of me, orders for one of his own soldiers, "Kumuha kayo ng tubig sa likod." He turns around as he places his revolver back to its holster and takes my hand, pulling me with him to where the President is.

I am sure that it is not to do something with the situation, but for him to be assured that I am there. After what just happened, soldiers starting a fight, the last place he wants me to be is in a middle of a crossfight.

"Ka Miong, wala na po," Enteng remarks, remorseful. "Naubos na."

Before I can even suggest it, President Aguinaldo says, "Pumutol kayo ng kawayan, may tubig doon!"

A few minutes later, Enteng returns with a bamboo bottle with newly refilled water from a cut bamboo. The President then urges his wife to drink from it.

"Linalagnat po siya," Doctor Villa says after pressing a hand by Doña Hilaria's neck.

The President sighs before looking at Goyo. "May natitira pa ba tayo kahit konting pagkain?" Enteng hands a sugar cane to Goyo and then Goyo to the President. Upon seeing the cane, he shakes his head a little in dismay, cursing under his breath, "Tangina. Isang linggo na tayong ngumangata ng tubo!"

I notice Goyo bites his lower lip a little, fatigue also visible on his face. "Ito na lang po ang natitira, Ka Miong. Wala ng ibang pagkain."

In the end, the President gives up urging for more.

Goyo straightens up and tells Enteng, "Dito na muna tayo magkampo." After Enteng heads on to tell the soldiers that, he turns to me, his eyes soft as he says, "Dito ka lang, kung saan kita nakikita. Baka ano pang mangyari sa iyo."

# # #

No matter how hard I try not to involve myself with Goyo much more during this odyssey, it becomes impossible since day one. After all, he really insists for me to stay next to him. When horses are slowly made into meals one by one, him, along with the rest of us, is left with no choice but to also walk. And during such times, he ensures that I am next to him. Though we mostly don't talk much, keeping whatever energies we have within ourselves, it becomes comforting. Not to mention that whenever we are also to make camp, Goyo insists that I stay with him.

Practically that's how the rest of the soldiers start having the assumption again that there's some budding romance going on with the two of us. But whenever we do sleep, in one made-up camp, we're practically sleeping at the tent's other ends, keeping at most distance between the two of us. It also has its advantage, since if ever Goyo will be attacked again with his nightmares, I can ease him down right away before rumors arise then to the soldiers that he is starting to become insane; thankfully, there haven't been any worse ones compared to when we were in Dagupan.

So, as usual, I sit outside our tent as Jose, with a small smile, hands me a plate of tonight's dinner as Enteng sits next to me and the younger Enriquez on the other side. The two of us eat our small portions in silence, hearing from one that tonight's dinner had been our last horse available. Though if I'll be hearing such in my time, I could swear that I'll not be eating horse's meat; but with no other option left and famish, I eat up.

"Si Heneral?" Jose inquires. "Para namang natagalan siyang magbigay ng pagkain kay Presidente?"

"Ayun, oh," Enteng says, pointing a finger at the direction of the President's tent. "Linalandi pa siguro ulit si Felicidad."

And yes. When I look at him, I notice that he is standing across the young woman. Though the distance between them is visibly far from being intimate, they are conversing. During our time in Dagupan, I learned that at the time that I've been gone, Goyo had courted Felicidad. They ended up as a couple, but also decided to partways. Or, if I'll be hearing another side of the story, Goyo called it quits because of another woman.

"Hmm?" Enteng immediately perks up, straightening from his position. "Ano iyon?"

Both I and Jose blink at him, and for a second, tries to listen closely. Later on, Jose answers, "Kuya, parang putok ng baril."

"Galing ata sa ibaba," Enteng agrees. "Ang retaguardia."

I look at the two of them unaware. After all, I can't hear what they are referring to. Except for them two who seems to hear it.

Before I can say something, Enteng stands from his seat and heads to Goyo in order to report what they've heard.

My confusion seems visible on my face for Jose to speak up to me, "(Y/N)." He smiles softly again. "Huwag ka mag-alala. Sanayan lang sa pakiramdaman sa tunog ng baril para malaman ang pinagkaiba nito sa iba pang tunog."

I flush a little. "H-Hindi ko rin kasi talaga marinig kung ano yung narinig niyo."

His smile widens much more. "Sabi ko nga. Sanayan lang."

Later on, Enteng returns, visibly furious. Surprisingly, he didn't take a seat back as he just passed by us, mumbling, "Alam ko rin ang tunog ng putok ng baril."

Jose immediately follows after his brother to ask what's the problem, but it seems, seeing Goyo still on conversation with Felicidad, Goyo surely dismisses the thought that it had been the sound of gunfire.

# # #

A few more hours and the entire camp falls to sleep. There are a few who remains awake to remain on guard. A number of those had been Enteng, the President and surprisingly, me. I've just walked out of the tent slowly, fearful that Goyo will awake. He is sleeping peacefully and I've been restless in my trial to sleep, I can say that it is because of the gunfire that both Enteng and Jose had heard earlier.

This time, I didn't sit right outside the tent and draw closer to the nearby bonfire with my shawl around me to keep me warm, careful not to step onto a sleeping soldier's hand or foot in the process. I succeed and draw close to the fire as I hold out my palms to warm them up.

It didn't take long, however, when those soldiers on patrol, as well as Enteng, the President and me, had been shaken by the presence of arriving soldiers. A few of them had been Juan and Isidro themselves. Dread fills the rest of us by their presence. Both Juan and Isidro, assigned with the rearguard with Colonel Leyba, the latter visibly absent, head straight to meet President Aguinaldo. Enteng even draws closer to them as they converse. But I don't need to be close to them to understand why are they here.

Furious, President Aguinaldo marches on to the tent where Goyo is sleeping. Crouching low, and in the silence of the night, I hear him saying, meaning that Goyo had already woken up, "Yung tunog na winalang-bahala mo kanina, mga putok nga siya ng baril." After saying that, he immediately walks away.

Goyo emerges from the tent right away, surprised by the news. "Nakahabol ang retaguardia?"

"Hindi. Naabutan sila ng mga Amerikano." The president stops for a second to turn back to him, bitterness and hatred sprouting on his next words. "Nadakip nila ang aking ina't anak." He looks on to a nearby soldier and orders, "Gisingin ang lahat. Lilikas na tayo."

I see the surprise on Goyo's face slowly disintegrating to remorse. He looks at Enteng before the latter looks away, and walks away at the same moment that I move away from the bonfire and draw closer back to him, biting my lower lip.

"Goyo," I call his name, placing a hand onto his upper arm.

"Kasalanan ko ito," he mumbles.

Even on the night, we proceed on with our march farther to the north.

* * *

A/N: Seven chapters left after this one!!! Imagine how close we are to the end. So I'm still promoting FLIGHT PLAN to all of you! Follow me on twitter @23meraki for more updates. ;)

#GoyoDeadReckoning || #GoyoAngBatangHeneralStories || #ProjectAguilaStories