Grouse Thicket put on your war face

Dagfinn didn't know what to say. There didn't seem to be anything he could do to make this better, but he hated to see the grief writ across the liver of the girl's face. Everything about her seemed shrunken and dull; lifeless. "Not all things are someone's fault," he said after a moment. "Sometimes we do the best we can, but things turn out in ways we could never have imagined."

Like when he'd left Donnelaith that first time without speaking to Laerke. How could he have known that it would be his last chance to do so again? Sometimes, ambiguous choices led to the most foul consequences.

"If you ever want to look for her, I will help you," he offered.