He looked thoughtful as he chewed, not just mulling the topic at hand but what he wanted to say about it. "If heartache was the worst risk, I'd probably try." He broke off another piece of bread, turning it in his hands and shrugging lightly.

"A whole winter? You say I'd be sick of you after two days? You'd want to kill me by then." He grinned. "Yes, we'd find this cozy little shack, only to discover it's haunted and get sucked into the Fade. That's the way these things work in the Marches." He popped the bread into his mouth.

"Maybe you'll find out." He raised his brows once, the expression a satisfied one. It probably had something to do with the red he could see at the outer curve of her ears. "When it comes to gossip, the wilder the better. Then you throw in there somewhere 'the Knight-Captain' and everyone scoffs, because it's just as crazy as the rest of it."