Of course I get paired with Celeste, Lucas thought, but he kept his expression neutral. "Sounds good."
They finished packing in silence, each person double-checking their supplies and weapons.
Lucas retrieved his sword from where Lydia had left it. He noticed several new nicks in the blade from the previous night's fight.
The two teams separated at the edge of camp, Damion's group heading northeast while Lucas's team moved northwest along the stream.
For the first twenty minutes, they walked in silence. Lydia led the way, while Celeste stayed close to Lucas's side.
Finally, Celeste spoke. "I'm sorry about last night."
Lucas glanced at her, surprised. "You don't need to apologize."
"Yes, I do." She kept her eyes forward. "I lost control. That was... inappropriate. Especially in front of the others."
"You were scared," Lucas said carefully. "That's understandable."
