The pause that followed only made Sabine look more withdrawn. She did not wish to dwell upon her memories any more than Ariel dared to speculate what they might contain. Rukeewei's attempt to steer on the conversation did not land gracefully, either, as Ariel did not so much as smile. His endearing nervousness brought her levity in almost any other circumstance.

"Are your okay, Sabine?" Ariel asked.

Sabine nodded and brought her eyes up to meet her sister's. "I am being helped by someone wise in the clan," she said. "I do not want anyone to worry. There are other important things to do."

Ariel cleared her throat. "You can count on my help with those alchemies. And...for anything else you might need." The way she spoke revealed her attempt to hide the discomfort she displayed.

"And it is not so simple as choosing who you like." Sabine turned to Rukeewei. "If it was, I would not be in the my previous pack until Lorag stopped snoring so loudly."

Karl snorted and stifled a laugh. Sabine's deadpan humour was only made more absurd by how fast it came from a serious and frightening topic. Even Ariel smirked through her pallor.

Sabine continued. "I want to find people who are dependable and kind hearted. I also need people who are better than me at other things. Fighting, speaking, planning, knowing people. A lot of people want to take advantage of me. I cannot be what everyone wants me to be without help, but I do not want to be manipulated either."