"I'm not afraid," Bariyan said, sitting up straight.

That was a lie. God, that was the only thing he'd been afraid of for a while -- the idea that someone he knew might show up here.

"I think I saw them. I can't... be sure." He ruffled Martin's hair, absently. "I don't know. Maybe I've been drinking too much. I'm seeing a lot of strange things recently."

For all that, he didn't sound nearly as worried as before, though. Martin's presence was calming. Now Bariyan was just thinking aloud, running through memories, trying to decipher them for hidden meanings.