Blackfeather Woods Walking by your side

Slowly, her expression hardened, and irritation filled her gaze. But she let him finish talking, and he had a good point—he was the healthiest, but that didn't mean he should go over her. She had traveled in worse condition than this. It wasn't like she was on her death bed or something. I am aware of how time sensitive the situation is, she told him slowly. I do not think waiting is the best option, but you asked if I would wait until I was healthier, and so I was willing to oblige. But do not mistake that to mean I do not think myself capable of making the journey now. In fact, if he pushed it enough, she would leave the very next day just prove she was serious. She paused a moment, her fiery gaze locked on his. I do not need you to fix my problems; I have done that on my own so far without any trouble. The walls were shifting, closing up around what she thought he saw as vulnerability. Taikon thought he was better suited to deal with the journey than she was, and it hurt her pride—something she had never taken very well. I have been grateful for your help and have willingly accepted it, but that does not mean I could not do it on my own if I needed to. Her pride was clearly speaking now, lashing out in fear of her being seen as weak. As a child, it started out as a fear of getting punished for being weak but as she grew into an adult, it became a pillar of her identity. She knew on some level that he most likely hadn't meant to imply that she wasn't strong enough, but it had just been a barely audible whisper somewhere behind the wall—easily ignored.