My thanks, friend. [he gave one of his usual handsome smiles. He had given Estinien thousands of them by now. But something else lurked under them now. Whether it was truthful understanding of his own feelings, he wasn't sure, but he knew that speaking with Estinien would clear it for him.

He took a couple packages of cookies and something proclaiming itself to be a "fruit snack"]

I had hoped that we might settle privately from our friends tonight, that we may speak with one another. We have little else to do in the hours ahead of us as it is.