"I'm sorry I didn't know -- that I didn't figure that out, I just thought..." She laughs again, shaking her head. "I don't know what I thought. Someone had brought a lion in? Or turned into one, but I never imagined it was you!"

All of that is detail that fills in blanks of time past. More important than any of it was him being here now, okay, whole and hale and healthy and safe. Koltira had to be ecstatic, much as the undead elf ever was; and so many of the rest of Martin's friends.

"Have you found everyone yet? Do you remember everyone? I mean, being able to say you're okay, that you're here, I know so many of us were worrying --"