Valdis didn't even consider how her facade had broken so completely, or if she still dreamed. Feeling half here and half somewhere else, she broke eye contact, shaking her head, trying to re-associate and find some sort of center. His reassurance should have been empty, she knew that none of them had any control over who stayed and who left, but it did help the world stop twisting so much. She took a shaky, but deep breath, blinking away tears.

"Thank you."

She glanced at the knife laying harmlessly in the sand. It wouldn't have done much lasting damage, wouldn't have affected anything in the long run, but it may have caused a problem for whoever stumbled upon the scene later. Valdis almost laughed at the morbidity of that thought, but it seemed highly inappropriate considering what had happened.

"I feel crazy," she sounded calmer now. Her arms stung as she still strangled her own magic to prevent it from rising.