[ It's cold, even with the blanket, and the sense of emptiness pervading the place doesn't go away - but the view of nature outside is still awe-inspiring. It snows where Lupin lives; that's about as close as he's gotten to this sort of imagery. In his time, photography is a new invention, and the poles of the planet remain largely unexplored, save by those fisherman brave enough to go near them. He's never seen icebergs or glaciers in his life. He moves to stand beside Cairngorm, transfixed by the sight for a few seconds.

He'd questioned why gems would live in a place like this; when he sees the translucent glitter of the ice past Cairngorm's shining profile, however, he thinks he can see the connection. ]

Not at all. [ he responds after a second or two. ] I know you're independent - tough, even. It's easy to see why the others rely on you. I was just impressed, that's all.