For the first time since chasing Thiele clear off the boat they had traveled upon, Tanist actually felt like himself again. The rest and down time, as much as he had hated it, had done him an immeasurable good. Only now that he felt restored did he truly realize to what lengths he had let his health go in his efforts to keep Thiele well nourished. Even now, though, his sacrifice felt nothing but hollow within him. Not being conscious for the final leg of their ordeal had been bad enough, but learning of the recent attack upon his extended party that he had missed was quite another, a particular sticking point he was still trying to get over.
He had much to atone for. At least in his own eyes. Thiele would never, bless her heart, question his devotion, but he knew he could do better... and he swore that he would. More than his companion and charge, she was his partner of a sort now, and he had no intention of letting her down ever again. Not while he breathed, anyway.
Glancing sidelong to Thiele, he took one of her hands in his own, squeezed once, and did not let go as they sat and waited. In their surroundings, he found himself feeling quite out of place, so he could only imagine how she felt. The court room, though beautiful in its own right, felt altogether too confining to him, and though they were merely here to expose an evil and be on their way, he could not help but feel a little anxious.
Looking up, his eyes trailed from Eragos, to Eithne, and back again. The tension between the two was clear, thick enough to be felt enough, but on top of that he swore he could almost see forces in the air between them, seemingly magnetic in nature. Idly, he wondered how long they would be able to be on opposite sides of the room, even if the present protocol seemed to discourage such proximity.
"When you are questioned, I will be no more than an arms length from you", he said quietly to Thiele, even though he had received no real indication that she was nervous or otherwise dreading what was to come. "And soon after this, we can be on our way. Away from all these buildings and paved streets...well...after we get you some good and proper boots, and heavier clothes, that is."