Ned swallows and smirks back. "The wine is very good," he comments. He'll take the compliment on his company. "It cheers me to have someone to enjoy it with, too. In addition to my sister's, of course." But she is off having her own adventures at the moment, without her big brother to tie her down, or a lover, or most tellingly, a father and mother with expectations of the grand match she'll make.

"Good," he says quietly, reaching across and squeezing her arm. "I would not want to intrude on the solitude of your travels if that is what you would prefer. But it has been a very great privilege to have such a knowledgeable guide here."

Ned lets go and sips again. His gaze turns faraway, reflective. "If only there were a godswood here," he says thoughtfully. "I used to pray every day before the sacred tree in it. We call it the heart tree, in Westeros. I have not felt quite myself without that ritual." He meets Aella's eyes, not apologizing for his beliefs but wondering if she had any of her own to relate to.