[ me handing them to you like a cat offers a dead lizard

but she nods again at that. ]

That might be for the best. Other people being here means that they also supposedly died. I think I would prefer to be alone than to see familiar faces, in that case.

[ she and shalem had a mini panic moment as they tried to figure out if other people from their company also died or not, since that means something went very wrong. but if it's just the two of them, that's... not better, exactly, but it means her friends are likely safe. ]