The book, the words, it's all piling together into a whole Anders doesn't like. He reaches into a belt pouch slowly and pulls out the stuffed nug he found earlier and holds it out.

"Is this yours, little one? We won't make you drink anything we wouldn't drink, water. We won't make you listen to screaming. I promise." But if there's red lyrium in the boy, he needs to deal with it sooner rather than later. If he'd gotten to Bartrand earlier...

"What they gave you hurt you. I've helped someone hurt by it before, in a way that didn't hurt." If he could back away he would. But red lyrium made this urgent, and so all he can do is give an apology with his voice and eyes.