Before Henry went into the cave, his eyes searched the men still with him, and when his gaze landed upon Irene, she offered him a nod. It seemed to be enough for him to press on.
Was he seeking her approval? He had told her he would rely on her while they went into the mountains because of her experience up there before, but she felt suddenly burdened.
When it came to herself, she tended to push past fear and lean into the thrill of the fight so that she could prevail, but when it came to someone else, she suddenly felt guilty. What if the Duke was harmed? It was of the knights' many responsibilities to ensure that he remained guarded.
However, she ducked into the cave after him and knew that it was suddenly no longer a choice. They needed to follow him so that he had someone watching his back.
