Ridahne confused Darin. The human was pretty positive that the elf didn’t want to talk about what she had done before her exile. Now she seemed perfectly willing. Darin examined her posture. The warrior was tense. Darin had only seen people that tense when they were called before the elders and felt guilty. Darin knew she looked that tense right before harvest every year. The Elf’s words and actions didn’t match. Darin wasn’t sure she wanted to call Ridahne on it. They had just got done with a fight and she was disinclined to start another one so soon. She didn’t like the implication that she didn’t really want to hear what the Elf had to say, but for now she would let it go.

Darin shook her head and waved her hand at the Elf, “Don’t worry about it. I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t have snapped at you, and I shouldn’t have pressed you when you clearly aren’t ready.” She moved to look at Talbot, “Besides. We need to go. I want to get to The Tree as soon as possible.”

Talbot nodded in agreement and Darin smiled. She took the sickle and pack form the horse. The pack went on her back. The handle of her weapon went between her teeth as she moved to collect the fallen apples. She handed one to Talbot and tossed another one at Ridahne. She wasn’t going to try feeding the Elf’s horse without permission, but she would gladly share. Soon all the apples were safely in her cloak. She figured that now would be a good time to get mounted. She looked at the collection of apples and realized she wasn’t getting on the back of Talbot with her arms full. She sheepishly held the bundle out to the Elf.

She removed the sickle from her mouth, “I got breakfast. Can you hold them while I get on Talbot?” She mentioned, “Your horse can have one if they want. You can have more if you want. I got enough to share.”

It would be just her luck if the Elf said to in order to prove a point or something. Darin picked as many as she did as sort of a peace offering. If she had been at home, she would have used the apples to make pie. It was the one traditionally feminine thing that she was actually good at. That surprised everyone in the village, but Darin didn’t care. She liked making pie. She had made all the pies for the feast for The Gardener. She hadn’t even had to be asked. That really surprised the elders. That being said they weren’t at home so plain apples would have to do. Though, now that she had to think about it, she didn’t know if Elves even ate apples. Darin figured that at least horses ate apples. So, at least Darin hadn’t completely messed up. Talbot pressed his nose against her shoulder. Absently Darin grabbed another apple and passed it to him. She didn’t even need to look to do it either.