It doesn't particularly surprise Lan Wangji that she reacts with nothing more than muted alarm. He looks at her small frame, her guileless face anytime he catches a glimpse as she leads them. The stream has nearly run dry, but it doesn't matter; the path out of the woods is clear now, opening before them. "I would be nearby," he adds, calm, as if it's obvious. He is here to protect Claudius; of course he would be there to protect Thursday when Aornis appeared.