He doesn't immediately notice she's there -- all of his mental strength is focused on continuing to move forward -- and so he discovers her by twitching sideways and stumbling into her. For a moment he's terrified this is it and she's another tribute come to kill him before he notices her face. Even under the wrong horns and obscured by shades, he knows that face.

It's harder now than ever to separate her in his mind from his Disciple. There were too many near misses, too many times he had to wait all day for days in a cave for her hoping she wasn't dead, too many times she'd come staggering back bruised and bloody and fiercely insisting the other guy looked worse, too many times he'd wake with a start and have to check to be sure she was still breathing before he could sleep again.

"Meu--" He shakes his head violently (which doesn't help his dizziness much). "Nepeta. You can lean on me."