That's a little too many contingencies for me to keep track of. But I'm glad to hear that. I've spent so much time chasing after reckless warriors, it's a relief to know someone who knows what caution is.

Still, I'm sure you'll form bonds that close soon enough--although let's hope you don't need to test them this way.

[She's not sure any sort of contingency would have helped here. It seemed as though being badly hurt was essential to breaking Noel out of the creature's hold. But she can hope that most situations won't have such a drastic solution to them.

She looks away for a moment when Claude chides her gently for not doing more to seek out Noel in the aftermath. Maybe she's been avoiding him herself. It's nothing to do with resentment or blame. She can still feel her heart beating in the wounds, and when she does, she thinks about the desert. How it all went dark, and then the white room, and the meadows beyond town.]

...Yes, you're right. I should seek him out. I've been up to my elbows in work... so many others were hurt, and hurt more badly than me. [...] There's no hard feelings. It's just difficult to think about.