"Then we should be prepared to shield ourselves, or to hide," Felix answered, his response absent but steady. The terror enveloping his heart had not abated, but he found it easier to respond if he didn't spend too much time thinking.

He glanced down at his hands, ringless of course, and bit his lip. It wasn't enough that he felt exposed in these thin, dirty clothes, but his hands were naked as well. Felix was clearly distressed, but he said nothing.