Jade Fern Grove Command me to be well

He was running on delusion or pride, both of which would kill him in the end. In his condition, Andalusia guessed the length of the trip would double to six, perhaps seven days, depending on how well his wounds held up. Five at best, though as it stood, the boy would still need time to rest before he even thought of travelling again. The journey would be slow and painstaking for sure, but Andalusia had gathered this before she'd offered her help.

Andalusia turned to the grizzled man when he departed with a cordial dip of her head. She hadn't gathered his name, but she committed his face and scent to memory. Perhaps they would meet again on less frantic terms than this. "Safe travels," she said, and watched her company depart for a moment longer before returning her attention to the boy at hand. "Look, you don't have to ask me to come - I've already decided I am." She hadn't missed the indecision in his eyes, even as he so quickly dismissed her help. Well, if he couldn't make up his mind, then she would make it for him, and her verdict was that she wasn't about to let him wander off into the Wilds alone in the state he was in. "And don't try to argue. You're stuck with me 'til we get you home."