Reading the fear in Iris' expression, he realizes that he has to tamp down his own rising panic to be strong for both of them. They have to believe that there's a way out of this, or else they really will be immobilized. (If he had any space to think further, he might be startled by the strangeness of it all — because when has he ever been the strong one?)

"Come on—" Positioning himself to support Iris' weight, he braces one arm under the boy's legs and the other behind his back. He stands slowly, carefully, cradling Iris to his chest. He tries to fill his voice with reassurance, to crowd out his worry. "I've got you."

A moment of uncertainty passes before he picks a direction and starts walking. Without knowing where the hell he is, every path is equally fair. The darkness clinging to the forest reminds him of the Duskwood around Nocwich, but...there's something different in the look of the trees, the undergrowth.

"Let's try to find water. Then I can clean your wound."

He has a waterskin in his bag, strapped to his back, but he hadn't thought to fill it before the exchange meeting. He was supposed to be going home.