Warren's demeanor tensed when she reached out to him and he sheltered himself with those words. His eyes slipped shut when she brushed his braid behind his ear and he leaned ever so slightly into the palm of her hand. A small exhalation escaped him, one of unknown origin. When he finally spoke his words were near a whisper, kept low to mask the strain in his voice.
"It doesn't matter. If they return, I'm here. I promised I would be."
"It doesn't matter. If they return, I'm here. I promised I would be."