But I don't know whether I could be useful
once we're there."
"You can be useful in ways that don't involve fighting," Yan said. "You
know her. You can recognize things about her situation that we might
miss. You can help us understand what she's not saying. And you have
been learning to protect yourself. You won't be a burden."
Mother Yan looked at her daughter, then at Bai. There was gratitude in
her expression, but also a fear she could not completely hide. "You're
both sure?"
"Yes," Bai said.
"As sure as we can be," Yan added. "We haven't seen the road yet, so I
won't pretend we know everything. But staying here won't help us learn
what happened to her."
Mother Yan was quiet for several seconds. Then she nodded. "All right.
We'll go. But we do it properly. We don't leave without checking every
supply, and we don't let enthusiasm make us careless. If I think
something is wrong, you have to listen to me."
Bai nodded at once. "Agreed."
