[ She can't help but flinch away from him when he barks at her, but as he softens, she regains her nerve, and though her brows remain furrowed with concern, she takes another step towards him. ]

Because... Because you won't be able to provide anything, or protect anyone, if you don't protect yourself first.

[ Feeling bolstered suddenly, she pushes on, taking another step forward. ]

And I know that you think you're protecting yourself by keeping your head down and focusing on work, but... Sometimes in order to protect ourselves, we need to make ourselves vulnerable.

[ She takes one last step, until she can reach out and put a hand on his hand, her touch soft and not yet calloused from working with the metal of the forge. ]

I think... You need to talk to someone about what happened. It doesn't have to be me. I know we don't know each other very well yet. But one of the best ways to process trauma is to talk about it, with someone you trust.