Dragoncrest Cliffs I've never given in to madness, never given in to madness

a younger blixen would have probably started snapping before ephraim could finish, and it takes tremendous effort even now, nearly biting through her tongue to control herself when he brings up her family. for mallaidh's sake, she tells herself, because they have the same father-figure (or however you describe étoille), and because mallaidh would be disappointed in her. still, her ears twitch back, expression pinching in. 

"i don't have family outside of drageda," blix says harshly, and, "why didn't you talk to any of us about this?" hearing the sharpness of her voice as it leaves her, she runs her tongue against her teeth and tries again, slower this time. "i mean -- it doesn't have to be me, i know you don't know me very well, but -- verx or - or someone." she feels bad about this. she does! she had no idea how worked up he was about everything (although, honestly, it's not exactly hard to puzzle out -- blix is just bad at interiorities). she runs her tongue against her teeth again, a nervous tic, and tries to think of what to say. nothing will make ephraim okay again, she realizes, but she owes him at least the effort.

"i'm sorry about -- all of that. i don't want to fight -- them -- either. we're not in any state for that sort of aggression." what had he said? we should have gotten rid of them when we had the chance. does she agree? it would have been so easy to kill that girl, at the least. but it'd been nomi's decision, and it's not for blixen to second-guess at this point. "during the last war, there was a wolf, arrille. a natrona (she can't help but add darkly) who joined us but -- abandoned us to go join the sound, to try and help them destroy us. when i saw you leaving i -- it was like i was back in time, able to stop arrille. kind of like what you saw, i guess." his explanation doesn't entirely make sense but she wants to concede to him on that point even if she doesn't understand. it was pretty clear he wasn't in the right state in either case -- but isn't that more justification for their holding him? she shakes her head and sighs; what else can she do here?