Nick didn't have a lot of ice cream left, and the ice cream in his bowl was melting steadily. But he couldn't bring himself to eat it.
Fortunately, Nuir was absentmindedly moving spoon after spoon of ice cream as he sat there with thunderclouds covering his face. It was sweet, cold, and something unlike anything he had ever eaten before. The chill also helped the pain in his head as he worked through what Nick had just said.
Nuir understood why Nick had emphasized it was just a hunch. He was grateful for it. If he hadn't, Nuir would have taken it at face value, and his brain would have fried itself before he went on a rampage and charged through the forest toward Basla.
Nick's words and the ice cream helped Nuir keep a cool head as he thought about what Nick had said.
Nick had no idea what was going on inside Nuir's head. His dark expression revealed nothing of what kind of thoughts were flying around.
