His bare back had only a few scars, testament to his skill and luck as a Strider. He grunted as her hands worked into the sore spot, easing blood back into the strained muscle, allowing the stiffness to dissipate. His eyes closed, and he put his hands on his knees as he sat, breathing slow and deep. Her question filtered down slowly through his thoughts, which had stilled considerably after eating and venting his stress physically. Again, he was struck by how nice her hands were, how pleasant it was to let her touch him. "To your room?" he asked dully, eyes opening halfway. His head turned a little, as if to face her. "I was just checking in... oh. No, you didn't mean that, did you?"<br/><br/>Carson scoffed softly at himself and sighed. "I came to Little Lake because I felt like it was what I should have done. I patrol a few other settlements, ones not far from here. You've probably visited them, for all I know. I knew it would be an opportunity to show the other Striders I'd welcomed to Central that I wasn't all talk--that I could go somewhere, bring peace, improve stability, do what it takes to be a Strider." He paused, then reached back and covered one of her hands with his own. "If nothing else, I'm glad we met. I've learned more having met you than I did in the last five years on my own."