Having decided to go, Maaike wanted to get gone as soon as possible. Concerns niggled in the back of her skull that she couldn't quite put her finger on but that told her it was dangerous to linger at Greenview any longer. More than that, however, she didn't want to chicken out. Aiden didn't seem to have noticed, but she was stark terrified about letting him meet her baby boy. It was partly why she had teased him about a mysterious safe house rather than giving him their actual destination: If she changed her mind, she could deviate from the plan and he would never know.
“Hiiii, boy. Did Graeme take good care of you, hmm?” Smoothing a hand down Cailean's side, she soothed the azani with a click of her tongue. The noise also brought Magda out from her roost in the stable eaves so Maaike gave a whistle that brought the mistral falcon to perch on her shoulder. Cailean, out of sorts with her being absent for so long, snapped at the white bird of prey and forced Maaike to snatch her shoulder of his reach. “Oi, oi. Behave.” She slapped the azani's flanks a couple of times until he'd calmed enough for her to finish fastening the saddle. Hopefully Aiden and Graeme would have their things on the main steps ready to pack, though. She didn't think Cailean would stand still for long like this.
“Let's go. Come on.” She clicked her tongue again and tugged on the reins. The azani resisted, stubbornly setting his huge paws to make himself immobile. “Move it, mister. You should be grateful I didn't take you with me to that Helhole.” Another slap to his flank and he finally conceded, letting her lead him out of the stable and across the flat green that led up to the house. It helped that Magda had hopped onto the horn of his saddle to peck at his back. “You better not act like this with Aiden, buddy. It's not too late for me to make some fur boots for the winter.”