The Cad blinked, looking briefly at the bow, then back up at the woman as she turned her back on him.  Ah, dear.  His mind had wandered just far enough to make his hand find the wrong destination.  But no matter.  If he knew anything about this woman, he knew about her affinity for gadgets - the affinity he shared.  Perhaps it would take longer with her.  Perhaps it would take weeks.  He didn't mind.  It was more important to help a woman find a safe refuge than to seed her fields.  The Cad would wait.<br/><br/>As Onyx took charge, he let his mind drift, this time guided by her words.  Beasts... mutants... of all the things he'd encountered, he'd not met a monster he couldn't escape... not yet, anyway.  Perhaps this trip would be something different, or perhaps not.  Either way, he had to find a way to end his gnawing hunger.  He let his memories of past excursions come sliding back...<br/><br/>Then Mina snapped him into focus.  She'd added on Tia and Ted as an afterthought to her very short list of priority objectives.  Glancing about, he brushed a long hair from his eye and saw the other women's expressions.  Ah yes.  There to keep him safe.  Still, it didn't sit right to put such value on one over another.  It never had.<br/><br/>Later, as the grasses brushed at the edges of his loincloth, he drew his stiletto and held it delicately close to him as he was veritably walled in by women on all sides.  Despite the danger, despite the rising anxiety in his throat, despite the apprehension over what could be the<span style="font-style: italic">right</span>way through this mess... he reached his free hand down and gently goosed Mina, Lucille, and Rachel, each in turn.  With a smile, he watched their reactions and whispered, "Perhaps we ought to spread out, ladies.  Just stay away from the really tall stuff."<br/><br/>He cast one eye back at Ted.  It looked like he was already regretting his choice to come along.  Zeref frowned, then looked ahead to Onyx and his lovely spurner... Tia.  Did Onyx remember the safe path?  If enough time had passed, the beasts may well have forgotten even a commonly-used one, but the Cad was not sure.  He was no real hunter; it was best to leave this in her hands.