Although it faltered at first, Stephen smiled apologetically. He knew what she was going to find out when she arrived there was going to be terrible, and he wished he could ease that burden. There was nothing that he could do, other than wish her the best.
"You're welcome. Farewell, Lady Sif." He raised a hand in farewell, and one corner of the cape did that too. Although Stephen's hand remained still, the cape actually waved bye-bye. This time, Stephen gave up and just let it do what it was going to do, without chiding it. "If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask."
He turned to walk back to the alleyway, where he could return to the Sanctum with some measure of discretion.