Serik, after a glance at the insensate Maran, goes to help Tarro unchain her.

She coughs weakly and doesn't try to move. When they gently lift her off the padded box, she half-collapses into their arms. Her eyes are healed again; the tears that spill from them leave clean tracks down her bloodstained face.

Serik smooths her hair back from her forehead and kisses it.

She opens her eyes and stares up at him with intense focus, remarkably lucid considering what she just went through.

"You're amazing, you know that?" he murmurs, petting her hair.

She considers.

"Yes," she says, decisively.

Serik laughs.

So does Tarro, a little.

Luar closes her eyes and nestles contentedly in Serik's arms.

—she's never done that before. He blinks down at her, surprised.

...it's nice.

After a moment's hesitation, he resumes petting her.

Tarro carefully lets go, watches them thoughtfully for a few seconds, and then goes to the couch to sit with Maran.

"I assume we're done here?" says Serik.

"Yes. Although—I expect you know how difficult it is to get a letter delivered to the Howling Mountain—"

"I have extensive experience with that fact, yes. Also the Howling Mountain is a stupid name but that's somewhat beside the point. Do you want a better way to get in touch?"

"That would be ideal. In case of - a sudden need to borrow someone."

"I can make it so that whenever you say my name, I hear it and whatever you say after it."

"How aesthetic. Yes, I'll take that if you're offering."

"Done."

"See you in a while, then, I suppose."

"See you."

He looks around the room, considers for a moment, pulls a bit of power to clean all the blood and assorted fluids off of everything, and then turns himself and Luar into a breeze and flies away back to his mountain.

They materialize in Luar's cottage, Serik sitting on her bed with her curled up in his lap.

She tenses up again almost immediately.

He pauses, his hand hovering over her hair where he was about to resume petting.

"Hey," he says softly. "I'm—I don't—"

Shiver.

He struggles with words for a moment, lowering his hand to rest it on the blanket, away from her.

Then: "...you can tell me to go away and I will. Anytime. From now on."

Her head snaps up to look at him; she stares intently at his face.

"Only say that if you mean it," she says urgently. "You can't - if you give that and take it back you can't give it again, ever, it's gone. Understand?"