His gaze lingers on Steve thoughtfully, recognizing in his response the same sort of thing he always told the Hellriders that served with him. It's always better to talk it out with someone you can trust than to bottle it up and let it fester. He broke that rule when he was cast out of Elturel, because he was surrounded by refugees each fighting their own desperate battle against giving up for good. He could carry his burden, he thought. At least until they made it somewhere safe.

"I'm a career soldier," he says. "In my unit we were expected to go out in a blaze of glory. Retirement wasn't an option. That level of dedication is all well and good, but it does tend to lead to feeling fatalistic, and lost when the battle ends and you're still standing."

"I'm not in a position to turn down help, either. I'll accept what you're offering, gratefully."