Saoirse slept fitfully, easily woken by the slightest shift in movement or sound. She still felt exhausted and worn down when Shige's cool touch registered, pale eyes blinking open past gummy lids. She looked to the sky, rolling slightly onto her side in an age-old battle with the will to rise as she stared upward, ears laid back. She sighed. Then we must go on. Thank you, Shige.

It was still another moment before she rolled fully to her feet, giving a luxurious stretch and shaking herself off. Her expression remained solemn, and she had a hard time looking at her companion still. They had come this far; she was still waiting for the ambusher.

Even as a princess her life wasn't necessarily easy, but there had been more security than they faced now. Saoirse knew that she should pay more attention, be more concerned with their plan for now, but she felt...empty. They had left behind everything they'd ever known, and she couldn't regret it--not really. Not when the alternative was a life of pain cut short far too soon. She knew it wasn't regret that she felt.

Except, perhaps it was. Saoirse couldn't think on their situation for long before her mind turned to her mother, to her sisters, all of whom were destined for a similar fate. None of them had run--her sisters likely wouldn't be allowed to follow her example, later, and her mother...well.

Saoirse couldn't think about it without wanting to turn back, and so she didn't. She firmly ignored the niggling doubts in the back of her mind, but she couldn't focus enough on the here and now to plan any further. If it weren't for Shige, she would never have gotten this far.

She's relieved when he takes charge, giving him a nod and swaying somewhat into his space before she moved away again--a hug, or the closest she had ever gotten in front of her parents. It was hard to remember she didn't have to worry about that anymore. Ah, that sounds good. It's probably a bad idea to hunt in this...place.

She looks up to the sky again, at the quickly fading colors of day, and tries to pick out any sign of impending storm. The last thing they need is for the land to become more treacherous. Probably for the best, yes. I'll follow your steps.

Saoirse follows the moment he moves, head automatically lifting and her weight shifting so that she can step as lightly as possible. It's particularly helpful here, amid the sharp stones and shifting earth. She takes care to place her paws where Shigetoshi has already been, trusting in the other to guide her path as she always has. She doesn't speak for a while, content to move and gain confidence in her steps.

These lands appear utterly inhospitable. There is no shade to hide from the sun, no shelter from the wind when it grows biting. Fortunate it is that they've been moving south for so long, but moreso that they travel at night, when the land begins to cool. The earth remains scalding beneath her paws, and will for some time--but between that and the pinpricks of the rocks, she can barely feel the pain in her feet.

Which is, of course, why she slips--a bit of rock crumbling away unexpectedly as they pass close to a ledge and Saoirse barely registering the slip before she pitches sideways with a short yelp.

There is a part of her that resigns itself to death almost immediately. The drop is high, and she has already spent a night picking her careful way after Shigetoshi through the difficult terrain. It is a difficult part of her to contend with, like someone whispering don't be afraid, reaching inside of her to relax her muscles, telling her to let herself fall. It almost works--she almost ignores every instinct she has, and she feels no fear for it. Then she hears Shige's shout.

She will not leave Shige alone, and she will not drag him down with her.

Teeth catch in her scruff as her legs splay wide, claws digging into soft earth. Muscles bunch beneath her thick fur, a soft grunt escaping as she finds a grip. Saoirse is grateful for the counter balance as she throws her weight forward, scrabbling for purchase to finish heaving herself up. Finally she catches just enough of a foothold to boost herself, letting out a sharp whine of relief as Shige drags her fully onto...mostly solid ground.

Shige...

They tumble away from the ledge, and she does not allow her legs to collapse. Though she trembles with a belated rush of adrenaline, she remains standing, shaking off the dark cloud that nearly dragged her toward the very fate she meant to escape. If she wouldn't let him destroy her for the good of her family, she would not give up at a cliff's edge.

Shige's snap startles her. Saoirse looks at him with surprise, and her conviction wavers. Suddenly all she can see is her best friend, dragged from his comfortable home and everything familiar to him, and she knows with a deep certainty he resents her for it. Why shouldn't he? After all, he's now risking his own life to save her skin when for several heartbeats, the space of a single breath, she hadn't wanted to be saved.

She deserves his anger. Saoirse looks away, ears flattened, and braces herself against it, bowing her head contritely but expecting that he would continue to take his temper out on her. In a way, it is familiar; she has always been a failure.

She waits, but more vitriol does not come. Instead Shige seems to calm himself, and he says her name. Pale eyes flash up to meet his own sweet blue, then down again. She struggles to find words, herself, to properly apologize for what she's done--the way she's put him in danger, over and over. In the end, Saoirse says nothing--he will call it his duty, and she can't hear that right now.

When it becomes apparent he doesn't plan to continue his thought, Essie shakes herself and moves closer. She hesitates before stretching to put her head against his shoulder, the closest she can get right now to expressing how sorry she is. We should keep going. The sooner we're out of this place...

She can't continue, doesn't have the rest of the thought--just nebulous fear and anger hanging over her head. Saoirse thinks she hates it here.