Perhaps more to his surprise than hers, Nita really doesn't notice right away when he lets himself get his breath back.

But she doesn't immediately come to pester him once she does, either; if anything, once he starts up again and rejoins the group, it's almost as if she hadn't mentioned the offer at all.

But there's still much distance to cover, and the average pace of the group remains the same... and Nita's feeling more than a little twitchy, herself, checking her SCA as if it were a watch.