Damjen continues to observe indirectly by reading Kandrad's thoughts. He's glad that she's glad too. Or at least, what he interprets as gladness. There is still Weird Emotion behind it that's inscrutable.

They are indeed focusing on what she's saying rather than how she says it, so they won't notice.

"I'm not sure why your companion is lurking in the hallway, but I wouldn't wish to give him the impression I don't know he's there."

"We were anticipating hostiles, so he was being cautious," he says matter-of-factly.

...well if he's going to just say that, then there's really no point, is there? He takes a deep breath and turns the corner.

Does he try to read her mind? She clearly has some sort of detection power. Is she a flow mage too? The detection didn't rely on line of sight...

He'll refrain for now, choosing to look at her nose or mouth when facing her to avoid mind-reading her. It's typical eye mage etiquette; he's used to it. He'll let the conversation play out, and if it turns sour, he'll try to do mind-reading.

"I apologize for my impoliteness, Hearthkeeper." Is that a title, or a job description, or a name-with-a-meaning? 

"I am Pekksjempar Damjen..." right. By breaking Kandrad out, and running away from his betrothed, he functionally separated himself from his clan. He might do away with the matronymic too. But he can't unsay it, and in any case, having been born of his mother is an inalienable state, and it's not like she can take away the eye magic she gave him while he was in her womb. Not while he's here, anyway. "Damjen is my given name."

"I don't take offense. It's not unusual for new arrivals to be afraid. And it may reassure you to know that I do not permit my guests to harm one another."

"Nor will whoever or whatever threatened you follow you here. When you entered that green door, you left the world you inhabited behind, almost certainly forever, and entered my refuge. Those who pass through that door, without fail, have something to flee from, and nowhere else to go. This place is a sanctuary for them, and for those who are born here. I do not choose when and where the green door appears, and it is not by my will that you came here or that you are unable to return, but I do control the refuge and endeavor to make it a hospitable place for my guests."

"You'll be quite safe here. There is always the possibility of a self-inflicted accident if you have poor judgement, but I employ an excellent physician, so you would be very unlikely to die of it. It's old age that causes nearly all deaths in the refuge."

That is...a lot...to process. It is indeed the case that they had something to flee from and nowhere else to go. Or, well, they did have somewhere to go...but that somewhere was the barren interior filled with dangerous magical beasts. Still, to know that they'll be here forever...

"Thank you for your understanding. I do not intend to harm anyone here."

He's glad to hear her say she has an excellent physician. It's such a mundane and workaday statement inserted after those life changing words. He suppresses the urge to cackle at the absurdity of it.

Kandrad is sad that he won't get to talk to Grandpa again, but he understood that that would be the case when he left. It is what it is.

"A few more things you should know: if you see a red door, do not enter it unless you wish to leave my refuge. It's dangerous out there, and most who leave do not return. When you're ready, I can show you how to get food, navigate, claim a room. If there's anything else you need, you can always ask me, and I may be able to assist you. It is customary, though not required, to lend any books or other written media in your possession to the librarians, so they can make copies. You may also wish to meet our physician, Ton'guni, for a checkup at some point. Do you have any questions?"

"Thank you for your hospitality. Is there anything we could do or give you to repay you for all of this?" He was about to talk about the books, but those are Kandrad's now, so it's not his place to be offering the books up to be lent.

Kandrad is silent and still.

"That is neither necessary, nor possible, unless you have unusually powerful magic or rare and valuable skills. I would appreciate it, I suppose, if you do things to improve the lives of your fellow guests, but you should do what is healthy for you, and what allows you to flourish here."

That sounds so implausible but Kandrad doesn't detect any hint of lying from her. 

Same. Though without the help of magical senses. Damjen wants to wait for a good opportunity, not when the whole of her attention is directed on the two of them.

Hm. If they can acquire meat, Kandrad could acquire spiritual energy. What to use that spiritual energy for, he has no idea, but it gives them optionality.

"I am ready," he says, and turns to Kandrad.

He is ready.

He would have preferred for Kandrad to have said that aloud since that would make it less obvious he can read minds but, whatever.

"We are ready. May we be taught how to get food?"

"Yes, this way."

She leads them through one of the doorways out of the room, and into a large kitchen.

Now that her back is turned, he will take this opportunity to try mindreading her. Is she actually going to lead them into a place with food? Is there nefarious intention in her surface thoughts?

The moment he forms the intention to read her mind, she turns around and speaks sharply.

"Stop. Damjen, whatever you were about to do, don't do it."

"I admit that that was very impolite of me, and not in accordance with xenia. Again, I am sorry. I was concerned that you were misleading us. Though, given your power, it's probably a moot point for me to consider it." He moves his gaze to the small of her back instead.

Only by a great application of will does he resist trembling.

"I don't know what you were planning on doing, but if you did it, it probably would have caused you severe brain damage and possibly killed you. Explain what you wanted to do."

That's a...surprising claim. Eye magic is entirely passive. Is it some sort of spiritual contagion? But she seems mentally stable – if she was carrying any contagion severe enough to cause brain damage, she ought to be suffering from it too.

"I intended to move my gaze to your head, thus allowing me to read your mind with my eye magic."

"My thoughts cannot be safely comprehended by mortals. You can read anyone's mind by looking at their head?"

Oh. They've stumbled into a cozy corner of the void beyond the world's skin, maintained by a similarly eldritch entity adopting the guise of humans for their comfort. The Weird Emotions start to make sense now.