"And nothing," Valyn said, shaking his head softly. "Just a stray thought." That hardly needed voicing. And it seemed River - another curious name - hadn't heeded his request to stay out of his mind. He couldn't even feel her, either. He'd never felt Shadow, either, but that had been different. Shadow had been a constant presence - both physically and mentally - since Valyn was sixteen. He'd grown to accustomed to the other boy to ever notice.

"Please, I'd appreciate it if you didn't look inside my mind. Or at least ask my permission beforehand; it's considered polite to do so. I can't seem to keep you out on my own here."

He frowned, his food still relatively untouched. "If I were to assume that everything you're telling me is true... why me?" If this were some place that... stole people for purposes Valyn still couldn't quite grasp, why him? It wasn't as though anyone would pay a ransom for him. His father would kill him the moment he lay eyes on him, and his twin would most likely attempt to have him collared and locked away as a madman.

Funny, that.

When the loud voice came out of nowhere, Valyn did jump and look about, trying to determine the source of it, expecting an overseer or some such. This place was looking more and more like slave barracks by the minute.