Sidony is far less gentle and giving in the aftermath of a battle than she is normally: she is more sour, quieter, a filled with a little rage and heartache. It comes hand in hand with being there as the life fades from people, as her own inability to do more haunts her in a way she cannot quite put into proper word.

The smoke helps dry her tears, or mask them a little - people may imagine she blinks them away because of the sting, not because of internal wounds.

Lifting her head, she pauses as she examines Jude: a face she does not know well.

"So did you. Are you hurt?"