"Thank you," is easy, what's due to Richard for the promise he's making.

The urge to press further, to elicit some further assurances, rises and falls in his chest. Ellis looks down at his hand resting over Thot's ribs, waits a long moment before adding, with a note of apology, "I shouldn't have said any of it. Not when you had burdens enough of your own."

Some of which had followed him after waking. Richard hadn't deflected and turned from him that day on the steps because he'd woken without any concerns.