He won't admit out loud to being surprised they didn't throw him in a ditch as soon as they had the proof he'd brought to barter, but. You know.

"Besides the state of the walls?" he jokes. Half the fortress crumbled to rubble hadn't exactly been reassuring, but they're making do. He takes a seat on his own cot, testing out the thin cushion.

"What was it like for you, when you first got here? Did they roll out the red carpets?"