He has begun to consider allowing Cosette to rest as he continues to scout the area—he cares little about himself, really, can barely even feel the hunger and the thirst as long as he's fixated, first and foremost, on Cosette's safety—but then he feels her hand on his arm and all tension in his body dissipates. He slows down to a halt and glances over his shoulder to give Cosette a small, trembling smile of surrender.

A smile that hastily fades with what he catches from the corner of his eye. He does not hear Eva, nor does he even notice the blade, what with it being hidden from his vision. It is the sudden movement of the dewy green and brown underwood that startles him, and he almost fails to act.

And yet he somehow manages to; his senses kick into overdrive, and he grabs Cosette by the arm and pushes her aside, before planting one foot backwards and raising his silver bow and arrow at the intruder.

His leap into action might just be a split-second too late, however.