"Yeah," he says slowly, nodding. "Take a side or get crushed by everyone. I've seen how that goes." He watches Aden for a moment and then takes a sip of the whiskey, realises it tastes exactly like it's supposed to and holds it in his mouth, thinks about familiar things. "You know, not to be an asshole about it or anything, but it's actually kind of nice how people are the same wherever you go. I mean, it sucks, but there's something about it. Land, power, religion and all that crap. Might be weird as shit out here, but people always want the same things. Sounds like the Republic-Empire thing's not going to wind down any time soon, right? What's that look like? You guys get attacked a lot? Everyone mostly focuses on military outposts, or does civilian territory get it too? That sort of thing."

If he's going to be here, he's going to be expected to help out eventually. And if it's like with the Orlesians, where every conflict has rules, that's one thing, but if he's going to be expected to wade back into the kind of conflict that gets really messy--

Don't think too far ahead. Focus on right now.

The Bull takes another drink, another breath, straightens up a little bit so he can roll his neck and his shoulders. That offer to go out and kill things, sounded like Aden wanted to go out with him. If someone else is there, someone expecting him to come out of it at the end of the fight and go back to being a person, maybe-- Maybe that wouldn't be so bad. Help work some of this awful crap out of him. Something to think about.