Silence suited him well, though it was not easy for him to follow the slow pace she'd set for them. But he preferred she kept his back to him where he did not need risk seeing what accusing look she must no doubt be harboring for him. Indeed he saw little of her until they had found the cave. Daylight still seemed to persist above them, but by now there seemed little point in waiting for the natural cycle of night to come to them. Even a regenerating man needed his rest. He raised no objection to their choice of lodgings and so seated himself on a smaller rock not quite so chair sized.

His heavy pack came off first and he immediately began to look through it. They had days worth of rations and plenty of water still, but not enough to last if they did not find a natural source soon. This cove they found themselves in wasn't even damp, despite having once been pat of the river itself. He grimaced as he pulled out the canteen and felt the weight of it. He held it out to her. "You'll be wanting to clean those cuts. Bad enough you waited this long already."