Valeria was already on the balcony, having taken the emergency teleportation array back from the Amazon. She looked like she had been dragged through a gravel pit, but as Alvian approached, she straightened her posture.
Alvian stopped in front of her. His violet eyes meticulously scanned her from head to toe, assessing the dents in her armor and the shallow cuts on her cheek. He didn't say a word, but he reached out, his bandaged fingers gently adjusting the heavy leather strap of her pauldron. The touch was entirely unnecessary for her gear, but the brief, lingering warmth of his hand against her shoulder spoke volumes.
"You're standing," Alvian noted quietly, the coldness in his voice receding just enough for her to hear the relief underneath.
