"Alright then." Marin made their way out of the inn, setting off to the north as Kit directed. They didn't mind the quiet, but it was sad to see the energy drained out of the young boy like this. He shouldn't push himself to do this.
Kit stared blankly over Marin's shoulder as they carried him, and he had dark circles under his eyes. He pretty much stayed huddled up to feel more secure, and he seemed to be doing okay for the moment. "There's not any towns that we could get to before sunset, so we'll want to head towards the mountains to find a cave that isn't already occupied. There are people who keep them clear for travelers like us."
"Alright then. That sounds very nice." Marin fell quiet once more, focusing on walking ahead and keeping Kit close to his chest. Willow, though, was able to give him her full attention, brushing some hair from his face. He needed to… well, she didn't know exactly what would help.
Kit watched Willow with mild curiosity, still looking tired and stressed. Part of him felt like a scared little kid who really just wanted to go home with his family again, but the other part of him was entirely devoted to staying with Marin and guiding them through the land. He couldn't just leave, no matter how scared he was.
Kit was lucky Marin didn't know where his home was, or Marin would march him right back themself. Kit needed to be a child, even if only for a few more years.
The mage didn't, though, so they continued their way north. Willow smiled when she saw how Kit was watching her, doing a silly little twirl to keep him entertained in some way. Marin glanced down at them, letting out a silent breath.
Kit smiled softly and laughed a bit as he watched Willow, drawing his hands up close to his chest. He rested his head on Marin's shoulder with a quiet sigh. "Mm… it'll be another hour or two until we'll need to stop, I think. Honestly, it's up to you how long you want to walk, but we'll want to take shelter before… before it starts to storm…"
"That sounds like a good idea to me. We can keep track of any shelters we pass, so if we're caught out when a storm comes in we will have somewhere to go." Marin kept their hold on Kit steady as the boy shifted, Willow smiling as she saw she had been able to lighten Kit's mood. Even if just for a moment.
"Mmkay…" Kit turned his gaze up to the sky to see the angry, grey clouds that were preparing to pour down rain already. "Mm… I hate storm season." He sighed softly. "Does it storm this much in your realm?"
"Not near as much," Marin said, glancing up before continuing on at a quickened pace. "There are some places that it rains more, but many places don't see this much rain at all."
"Mm…" Kit hummed thoughtfully, considering. Maybe I could… no, I shouldn't. But… it would be so nice to be somewhere else, especially somewhere that doesn't storm all the time. He shook his head a bit and buried his face back in Marin's shoulder.
Marin took a moment to look at Kit as the boy shook his head, wondering what it was about before turning their attention back to the way ahead. They wanted to find a cave for them to take shelter in before the storm began, careful to keep Kit close under their cloak.
Kit flinched and cowered when he heard thunder in the distance, managing to lift his head so he could at least continue to try and guide Marin to a proper shelter. "W-We'll want to start towards the mountains now… we're… we're pretty close to them, so it won't take long…"
"Alright then." Marin hugged Kit closer when the boy flinched, picking up their pace once again as they started off for the mountains.
It had started raining by the time they reached the mountains, and Kit was trembling lightly in Marin's arms. The storm hadn't quite gotten there yet, but it would soon.
(Bump)
Marin pressed their hand to Kit's back as they came up on the mountains.
"We're here," they said, head bent low so Kit wouldn't have to move much. "Where next?"