Neutral Omens

Something about the casual gesture made Ellie's throat tighten up uncomfortably, and she was struck with a sudden, powerful desire to touch the child herself. Instead she clasped her hands behind her back and leaned toward him just slightly, summoning up a smile completely at odds with the sharp stinging in her eyes. "Well. Hello, Bran," she said a trifle thickly. "You have a lovely name, and I think you'll find this world isn't a bad place to be, once you get used to it."