Plodding along through the woods yesterday at her own pace, Serena had managed to convince herself that navigating the woods wasn't that hard. Learning she'd been herded for most of the day toward safety had been rather embarrassing, but she'd still been somewhat too proud to consider that she'd been completely helpless. She'd even insisted she was not an invalid, but today she is beginning to actually feel like one.

It doesn't take long for Serena to realize her own abilities are nothing compared to this Narnian knight's competence. She's tried to imitate Edmund's quick, precise steps— and the cords wrapped around the shoes actually do help quite a bit— but even though he's encumbered with a huge pack, she can't match the ease of his pace. Yesterday had been nothing like this, and she breaks a sweat within the very hour— perhaps the first few minutes, if she's being honest. She's noticed him slowing more than once, glancing over her shoulder as he waits for her to catch up.

"Let's stop for a moment," he says now, calling ahead to the Wolf. He walks a few paces further and meets Adan at the top of the slope they've been trudging up. Serena stops right where she is, watching them converse while trying not to pant.

'Fast and quiet' he'd said when they left the cave, and Serena had been overly confident that she could do that. But now, as tears pool in her eyes, she feels woefully inadequate for perhaps the first time in her life. All the poise and dancing and riding lessons in the world could never have prepared her for this. Neither the knight nor the Wolf have said a word about it— and she's studiously avoided catching their eye— but her disappointment in her own performance is more than enough.

Serena clenches her eyes shut for a moment, trying to force back the tears. She would not cry in front of these strangers. They surely think poorly enough of her as it is. She peeks up at them, watching the Wolf's mouth move as they continue conversing. It's so odd, she thinks, distracting herself from the aching of every muscle in her body. She'd known, vaguely, that most of the Narnian people were not human— and were, in fact, said to be the creatures of fairy tales and nightmares— but seeing it first hand is so much different than just hearing about it. She can hardly believe that she's met both a talking Horse and a talking Wolf already. What other strange sights will I see this far from home, she wonders as her breathing slowly returns to a more normal rate.

Before she can get too relaxed, though, their brief conversation— which involved far too many glances in her direction— has ended and the two start back down the hill toward her.

"We'll take a few minutes, but then we have to keep going," the knight tells her. His tone is gentle, even somewhat hesitant, but once again he glances past her, back down the trail. He then shares a look with Adan and the Wolf breaks off into the woods— back the way they've come. Sir Edmund watches until Adan disappears, before sloughing the pack off his back, removing the waterskin, and silently passing it to Serena. She accepts it gratefully, but her eyes still stray toward the direction Adan went. The Wolf has been out ahead of them for most of their journey, so why is he now going backwards?

"There's someone behind us," Serena realizes. Edmund glances up at her and then back down the trail with a shrug. The clenching of his jaw and the tensing of his grip on his sword, though, belie his attempt at nonchalance.

"They won't have caught up this quickly," he says at last. Serena's stomach clenches. She'd been perfectly willing to believe, somewhat naively she acknowledges, that it had just been Sir Edmund and Adan following her yesterday. But when had she first heard pursuers? And how far behind were they now? She turns around fully now, searching the path behind them.

"But they will catch up?" Her voice is higher than she'd intended, and she swallows hard against her panic. Adan must have found something last night. That was why Phillip had gone for reinforcements, and why they'd rushed to get moving this morning. It wasn't just eagerness to leave, it was fear of pursuit.

"Eventually," Edmund says at last. She turns back toward the knight, seeing his hand still clenching his sword, and for a moment Serena is angry that they'd said nothing to her. But then, would it have made any difference if they had told her? Would she have been able to move any faster?

"I'm sorry," she says instead, feeling the blush on her wind-chapped cheeks. She quickly takes a sip from the icy waterskin and looks up the hill. It's only a few more yards to the top. Surely she can make that rise, and then…

"We're heading into another valley," the knight says, following her gaze. He holds his hand out for the waterskin and Serena passes it back. "There's not as much tree cover," he adds, packing the waterskin away and resettling the bag on his back. So we'll be easy to spot, Serena guesses.

"Fast and quiet," she mumbles, wishing for all the world that she could move more quickly. She looks up at Edmund, about to warn him, or maybe confess, that she can't do it, when Adan reappears from the brush. He shakes his head once at Edmund and moves past them up the ridge.

"We have to go," Edmund says quietly. There's a hint of sympathy in his eyes, and Serena's stomach churns again. She frowns and presses a hand to her stomach. There's no need to confess anything, she realizes. This knight is fully aware of her lack of abilities. He's seen her struggling, and now he pities her.

She is a princess of Corsecant, a capable and well-educated and, and—

Well, she may not have any experience scaling mountains, but she decides then and there that she will not be the object of this knight's pity. And there's no option to give up anyway, is there? This, apparently, is her rescue. Unless the Horse really is coming back with reinforcements, she has no choice but to keep up. So with all the determination she can muster, she starts up the slope.

It's rather an embarrassing attempt, really, but she just keeps pushing forward. However, after one too many near slips on their descent into the next valley, Sir Edmund latches onto her elbow and doesn't let go even when she's regained her balance. She's tempted to shrug him off, this blow to her ego almost more than she can bear, but it is somewhat easier with his help.