Emberwood Walking and the sky keeps falling down

She ate. A small, almost indiscernible smile came to him. Taikon had no interest in babying her in any way. She was a grown woman. She'd raised her own children, which was more than he could say. She was powerful, beautiful, and had been through life's infinite wringer. There was no place in her life for a person who expected obedience from her, even if that obedience meant that she might survive more easily. That much had become apparent when she had walked away from Mahler, leaving what no doubt was years of friendship and stability behind her. Taikon had to be better than that piece of shit. This was easy to do. It wasn't in his nature to force people to do much of anything, including getting her to eat.
They could go through the Vale. It was the shortest path through the mountains and required less climbing and overall travel than moving through old Sagtannet terrain did. Taikon considered the fact that Sawtooth itself might still have some meaning for Takiyok, and so he considered their options and how likely they were to run into pack wolves in either of those cases. They could even head north past the mountain, curling around it and over the mountain on a more northward angle. This would make them more likely to run into any Sagtannet chasers, but they would be further away from the canyon held by the Saints.
"What are you thinking about?"
He lifted his head, smiling pleasantly. Her voice calmed him, somehow. About what road we should take. Do you want to stop through Sawtooth? Or do you want to head straight through along the borders of the Vale? He asked, like they were making an itinerary for a tourist trip. His voice carried no worry despite them having everything to worry about.