"What do you mean, not a normal human? What is she then? I think you're overreacting, Calden..." She was going to get into it more with him when July spoke up, berating Astrid for her suggestion. Astrid sat there, tears welling in her dark gray eyes. She felt like a terrible, horrible person! Maybe July was right. Maybe she wasn't a very nice girl. She certainly had no intention of stealing from the old woman, even if she looked like she had anything to steal anyway! But was she just making excuses not to do something she didn't want to do?<br/><br/>She watched for a moment as the old woman tried to rub her own feet, then jumped up to help her sit down again. "I'm so sorry, July. I...I didn't mean to make you think I don't care. I do. I just...I just thought if we..." She looked around them into the forest, "I'm scared...at night...There's things out here that are...terrifying...And I'm afraid of being caught without somewhere to stay at night..." She looked at the woman in front of her, "I'm sorry. I'm sure your feet must be very sore and tired. I'm sorry, July."<br/><br/>Astrid moved toward her and knelt in front of her, taking one of her disgusting feet in her hands, resting the heel on her lap and beginning to rub softly on the soles of the woman's feet. As she did so, she looked around them, as if she could see the things waiting for darkness to come. There was a battle waging inside her. She wanted to help this woman, didn't want to make her think Astrid didn't care...but at the same time, she wanted to tell the old lady there were priorities. And staying alive in this wretched forest was one of them. She vaguely began to wonder what Calden meant by not human. What else would she be...? Why was he afraid of her...? How could he tell she wasn't human...He had said she was coated in something strange...like what...? She wanted to ask him these things. To find out what he was afraid of. But she was stuck right there, massaging the old crone's stinking feet.