Faolan averted his gaze as Lucien helped the child into the clothes he had brought. He'd tried to pick things that were functional over fancy. He knew Lucien would have advised him against some of his choices, but he went through with them anyway. Among them was a large and well-lined jacket for the boy. Faolan had noticed that he'd seemed cold in the trailer the night before, and remained bundled up to his nose while the sun was down. He'd spent the most time choosing that article of clothing.

Although he tried to keep his eyes on the fire while the child was changing, the smell of blood pulled his eyes back and Faolan glimpsed the outlines of scars as the firelight flickered between the three of them. Immediately, he felt his heart pumping hot angry blood into his veins, into his head. His fists clenched tightly and his breath came in hot gusts from his nostrils as they flared wide. This is why he had smelled blood before, the child had been abused, whipped it looked like, among what else Faolan did not want to face.

Knowing that the boy was close enough to see him was the only thing holding him back from flying into a rage. He punched one fist into his other hand and gripped his knuckles so tightly that he felt his joints popping beneath his skin. He may have broken his own hand, staring into the fire and imagining all of the things he would do to that creature that called himself a man, if the boy had not spoken.

Slowly, he looked back over at the child and slowly his face softened. He was not completely relaxed, but his jaw was slightly less tight, his eyebrows sitting a little higher on his forehead as the boy's heavily-accented English wafted towards him. He saw genuine gratitude in that boy's eyes, just for the act of handing him a coat. He remembered a time when that same gratitude shined from his eyes and onto strangers that had helped him in the past, he remembered thinking that there was hope in the world when he experienced this kindness. And he remembered his sense of confusion, rage, and despair when he experienced cruelty.

Finally, he nodded, and flashed the boy a tight-smile. [color=a36209]"As long as you're warm, lad, that's thanks enough for me."[/color]