I'm both sorry you've found other people you know and relieved to hear that you're on board with the plan. I'm thinking there's a good chance "more people" means "more likely to get home". By virtue of throwing enough brain power at the problem, you know?

[If Talon seems unusually comfortable, it's because he's used to this act. The "trust me, I'm not a danger to you" dance that members of Knight Errant were taught to go through with civilians. The truth of the matter is that he isn't sure if this is a normal human or if she has magical powers or something. As much as he doesn't want to find himself stabbed or disintegrated when he's not looking, he recognizes how unhelpful showing his own paranoia would be in this situation. So he puts a lid on it for now, but keeps an eye on her hands in case they wreathe with magical fire or something similarly dangerous.]

Biggest challenge right now is navigation. The trees move in this forest.