It was as close to that mechanical yes, sir as Martin had gotten in a long time, but the impulse was not what it was before. He watched Bariyan rise and situate, his mouth opening to make a reply right away at the question, unthinking. He stopped, however, and gave thought to the question.

With how troubled Bariyan had been minutes ago, Martin struggled to shift out of worry for his sake. It made his voice thick with a dubiousness he didn't intend.

"I don't remember where he went, but..." He unclenched his fingers, using his hand as leverage to push himself up to stand at his side. "We can look, right?"