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An ex-officer! How lucky were they? The trepidation that overwhelmed Emery just moments before had instantly been replaced with relief. Varren was not at all what she feared, and in fact had turned out to be their silver lining. He was armed and experienced and that meant they could rely on him. Already he had guaranteed them protection and a way out of the island; that was more than she could have hoped for. Even Aubrey had no qualms about following him, and that had been the definitive sign for her that they could trust this person. There was also something about the Free Winds that rang a bell, and for someone reason her sister's face came to mind, but she couldn't quite put a finger on it. She'll just have to ask about it when they weren't in immediate danger.

[color=FFD2C3]"Nice… to… meet you… Mr. Varren,"[/color] Emery said in between breaths as she tried to match his and Aubrey's pace. Her shorter legs had to move twice as much just to keep up, and she was already getting winded. If she hadn't been exerting so much focus and energy into keeping herself upright, perhaps she could have been a bit speedier. [color=FFD2C3]"I'm… Emery."[/color]  Still, despite being extra cautious, she nearly stumbled a couple of times, tripping over her own feet yet again. Each time she'd managed to find a way to steady herself—that is to say, she had to yank at Aubrey's arm twice and Varren's once—and she was just lucky she didn't accidentally drag them down with her.

Their path to the forest had been mostly uneventful, thank goodness. She tried to steer them through rarely trodden roads or ones that had the most cover; focusing on directions had been the only effective distraction from the worries starting to catch up with her. Emery tried not to think of the others left behind, of the mayor and the dangers he may be facing, of Auntie Mel, and diverted her attention to doing what she can to keep them out of trouble. It worked for the most past. The closest to trouble they had gotten was an almost encounter with two soldiers, but thankfully her goggles alerted them just in time. The three of them managed to avoid engaging in any sort of combat, and soon they would find themselves surrounded by thickets of green. 

They had made it to the forest, and now all they had to do was reach the airship. If her calculation were right, and they always were, that should be no more than a ten minutes' walk away. What's the worst that could happen then?