[ If Felix picks up the pace any faster, they'll be proceeding at a light jog. Claude can still keep up, still match it, but it's almost enough to make him wonder whether he'd overestimated just how much Felix (secretly) enjoys his company. Notwithstanding his general approach to hiking and, at least as he described it, most activities.

Almost. If in large part because Claude left the part of himself that concerned himself with that question, whether someone likes him beyond the utility of a favorable opinion, far east and far in the past.

He does get the feeling that any suggestion Felix slow down, take a deep breath, and enjoy the scenery would get at best scoffing dismissal, so just this once, he keeps it to himself.

After all, there's a cave to get worked up about. ]

Too late, you've sold me. I'll just have to compensate for your cold disinterest by dedicating myself to its study.

So, you've gone in far enough to find a spring?