Watching him was painful--not in a physical way, not in the way he must’ve been feeling with Lingormr’s wrath stamped all over him, but in an intangible sense. Every time she saw the results of Landel’s callousness, it hurt in a dark, distant way. A familiar ache, like an old battle wound.

And alongside it, there was a feeling of helplessness. She couldn’t help him the way he needed to be helped, regrettably enough. But reassuring him that he would be fine--that was something she could do whole-heartedly and without question, because it was the truth.

“Yes, of course,” she replied unhesitatingly. She had settled back on her knees, but she leaned closer now, blinking in the darkness. “From what I know, it’s very rare for wounds not to heal up completely! And I know someone… she’s a healer. She can--” and talking about Rapunzel and her abilities only brought back memories of that night in the desert, when Tsubaki herself had been in such need of them, though she squelched them down as quick as they came, “heal wounds as bad as yours in a matter of minutes. Either way, we’ll get you back on your feet. Don't worry, you'll be fine.”