Dextera doesn’t respond with any of the usual signs of happiness or even relief that he now has the exploring partner he was seeking. Instead, his dull eyes widen just enough to briefly catch the reflection of the fire, and then they dim again as he nods and loses the perfect angle.

Then he turns his head, his body, and motions to be followed. He’ll accept boredom as a reason—it’s probably more reliable, he reasons, than trusting someone to assist out of the kindness of their heart.