[No, he thinks, just some other things. But he doesn't voice the thought. Sooner or later, it will be apparent. The dragon's mark on his cheek is becoming paler by the day, fading from its dark hue.

He follows her, slumps down to sit on the bench and digs out his own water flask.]

I could say the same to you. And that's a good thing, too. Something that you can still trust in.

[He could speak lightly. At some point, it becomes too much of a pretense, and he trusts Krile too much to entirely skirt the concerns that hover over this meeting of friends.]