Mention of the home village sent strange thoughts through Calden too. He had at first thought that returning would be the obvious choice. He thought that of course they should return to ask elders of help, but Astrid's words brought the harsh doubt to that idea. They had indeed disobeyed. They had ventured into the forbidden cave and broken every rule ever taught to them. He had even jumped on the sealed stone. He had disturbed that thing. He had set it free and how was losing a body any price to pay for that? Calden's eye flickered to the trunk of the forest lion, but only for a moment as he couldn't quite bear to stare upon those twisted still features of a once noble creature. He felt a crazy guilt burn from the inside. That had been his fault too, and much more would be if someone didn't do something - if they didn't do something.<br/><br/>His tone began humbled, but gained some small measure of confidence as he went on. For a moment there Calden sounded almost like the brave though foolish young man he had been. "Uhm...   uhhuh. I know. I did something terrible, and even if they let you return I don't know what would happen when I'm still stuck to your shoulder. I think we've got to do something too. The lion's dead because of me, who knows what else that God will do? But...  Astrid you'll be in danger. It's all my fault but I can't really do anything for you. I'm so..." There, Calden had already lost the hopeful spark and began trailing off into more despairing thoughts as he went on. "...powerless, I can't do anything, not even a speck of magic. I'm just a useless ugly stain on you. A curse. I'm just distracting you and, and probably doing some bad stuff to you. The lion said that I was a bad thing, remember? How can we chase after that thing the way we are? Why am I even thinking that you should come too. We need to find a way to save you from me and then you can go back safely to the village and I take care of my mess, alone."