"Would that I could tell you," Howl answers gently. The twinge of discomfort that the stranger showed when he touched him did not go unnoticed; he keeps his hands to himself now as the man tries to get his bearings. Howl has his own discomfort to deal with now, anyway.

"We appear to be in some sort of... cave?" he says as he sits on the stone floor to check the bottom on his foot. It's still damp from his own hatching, but aside from some redness, the skin isn't broken. What a relief.

"Are you hurt," he asks as he sits back up. He'll try his first question again.