"Ma Chaika?" Sonia brightens at the name, smiling. "Oh, she is something, isn't she? She's an excellent baker too, you know. Maybe next time you're in the village, you could ask her for something for me?" She gives him a wistful look. "I don't expect I'll be allowed to go to the village anymore, after what happened."

Thank God for the outsiders. Thank God Byerly is back with her. She might wither and die from loneliness otherwise.

She takes the bottle with a thankful smile, but her expression dims a little and she doesn't open it just yet, biting her lip. Now that the initial excitement of seeing him again is starting to die down, everything else is starting to come bubbling up.

"Miles..." She gives him a guilty look. "Miles, when I...when they took me, they fast-pentaed me."