Blackfoot Forest Step by Step

An extra day meant little in the grand scheme of things, and Andalusia was willing to sacrifice the time. Of course, it meant an extra night or two, but she would just be more careful. They both would, the Ostrega would make sure of that. She would keep her distance, and after her outburst, she trusted Sebastian would keep his.

The way down proved difficult for Sebastian, and Andalusia offered her support again, though she found her fervour lacking whenever she moved near the young man. The warmth she'd showed before wasn't gone, per se, but concealed and hidden within, and her help came with a rigid formality she didn't try to shake.

There was longing in Sebastian's voice, a note that stirred in Andalusia the familiar ache for home. She furrowed her brow, but that was where she made her pining end. Home as she knew it was far from her now, and a place that, while easy to return to, would be hard to face again. Surely her parents wouldn't want her to worry for them, so she instead focused on Sebastian, whose home was their sure destination, and whose family was likely wondering by now what had become of the sterling man. "Don't worry, we'll get you there." Though she would not return to her family, she would make sure Sebastian returned to his.

Though the path seemed endless, their progress showed in the growing size of the mesa and, when she cast a glance behind them, the ever shrinking mountains. The land glowed with the burn of sunset, and stars woke in the darkening sky. Though a certain tire filled Andalusia, she knew she could continue through part of the night. "Think you can last a few more hours?" She turned to Sebastian to assess him herself. Just because she could go on didn't mean he could, though she hoped he was feeling strong enough to continue. They had slept in, after all, and had taken enough breaks that it surely wouldn't hurt to press on for a while longer yet.