Blacktail Deer Plateau You can't stomach that stuff, that's not in you

Almost all of what Rosencrantz had to say was beyond Nieve's comprehension. It wasn't that she was too stupid to grasp the concepts, but it was difficult to even visualize fire, let alone understand the fear that came with it. She envisioned some kind of slinking lizard with bright and furious skin, indomitable and unstoppable, pressing on and on whilst being immune to any fang that tried to strike it, with breath as sharp as wasp stingers.

She shuddered and hoped she would never in her lifetime have to face such a beast.

I'm sorry that happened to you, she said, for there seemed to be nothing else she could say. She was sorry, too, for asking about it in the first place. It must be terrible to relive it, even just in the retelling. Eager to change the subject, she asked, what made you come to Rusalka?