"Oh, aheh..." Sabine breathed an uneasy laugh. A brief flush of red came over her cheeks. "No, no, it is just a silly thing. I healed, see?" She pulled away the bandage to show a thin pink line across her palm. She stared at it with a blank expression. "I cut my hand last night while sharpening a pen. I was tired and not focussed. It was nothing bad, just a lot of blood, and..." She swallowed hard. "I was suddenly very cold."

Sabine slowly breathed in and out through her mouth. "My mind kept seeing that tree I was stuck to."