"...Uh..." She didn't know what to say to that. All she could do for a moment was just stare at his face as scarlet began to creep over her own. She blinked once, twice, before she was able to shake herself back into remembrance of her vocabulary.

"It's not...I mean, I'm glad you think I'm capable and all, but it's really...pride doesn't have anything to do with it."

Well. Some of her vocabulary anyway. Why was it so hard to talk around him sometimes? She was genuinely touched that he was so concerned with her safety to the point where he was downright adamant about escorting her from place to place. Her fingers started to twitch toward the tails of her bandanna, and she had to consciously force herself not to tug at the thing lest she betray just how fitful she'd become at his simple pledge.

"Just...you know...there are so many people here that need protecting too. I'd feel guilty taking you away from them when I really should be able to stand on my own two feet and protect them too. How do I put it...?" She blew out her breath, scowling at the window as she mullet it over for a while.

"...I would rather fight beside you than be a burden, in constant need of rescue. Does that make sense?"