Cedar Sweep It's strange what desire will make foolish people do

"Is anything ever really certain?" Adylaide asked him.

"No... I suppose not," he murmured, his head bowed. But admitting this did not make him feel better. It made him feel like a failure, like he could not protect her no matter what he did. Still, he would not give up, or what kind of a guardian would he be? He had gotten them this far, hadn't he?

He breathed a sigh of relief as she agreed to avoid packs for now. That made his job much easier, though he hoped he had not forced her to give up going to the pack in the northeast. He had been too harsh, he knew. Perhaps he had frightened her unduly. Or perhaps she needed to be frightened, to have the realities of the world thrust upon her. He did not know. All he knew was that he did not like the way he had spoken to her.

When she mentioned finding a place to settle for the winter, he gave her a small, sad smile. "Why don't you pick the direction, my lady?" There. Give her something to do, give her a choice. Give her agency. That was better, wasn't it?