The Bracken Woods vii: curses

he does not know her well enough to know if her short response is reaction to him or how she is in general -- but given how quickly she'd fled from their borders at their first meeting, he does wonder. delight makes no move closer to her, sitting instead. his ears draw forward, curious, any real pretense of authority thoroughly abandoned. 

"sorry," the chancellor offers reflexively. he pauses a moment, trying to think of what exactly he wants to ask. "i wanted to -- um, are you doing okay?"