"Two friends. It's a start," he said, and though it was easy enough to say, it was harder to figure out why that made him feel a little more... solid. Two friends. Two... anchors, maybe. Two reasons not to just wander off into the woods.

He almost felt like he should resent that, but no, he knew better. That was just the exile talking. An old wound.

Two friends.

"A pretty good start, really."