And that's that, Dain thinks. Tuo and Alvi are safe. Lorne is uninjured. There's nothing more anyone can do until the next time the soldiers try to harrass someone. There's a temporary peace, and Dain can settle back into the permanent discomfort he'd learned to live with right up until Tuo walked back into his life.

It's keen, recently, those reminders that Dain can't simply do what he knows is best.

He's on the preceipe of stopping to wait for Lorne to catch up, of broaching the topic he meant to ask about in the first place -- but there's a soldier right inside the gate, and Dain chooses not to take the risk. Another time, perhaps.