Zevran could only blink repeatedly at Ber as the man described the newest person he was being swept away to speak to. He'd explained to Ber that he'd already told the Captain Commander everything he could possibly have thought of, and he wasn't certain what more he could tell this other person. And Lieutenant Woodwick (another title to commit to memory) sounded very unpleasant.

"Actually, I quite enjoyed speaking with the Captain Commander," Zevran commented, and truly meant it. Hadrian had made him feel important and had truly seemed like he understood the plight of the Dresmondi. This man... Zevran wasn't so sure, by Ber's description. But the more people he could get to understand, the better.

When they reached the door, Zevran shrugged lightly, "It's up to you if you stay or not." Though he was sure Ber's presence would make the conversation easier.

Ber cast a glance at Zevran when he mentioned enjoying his conversation with the Captain Commander, somewhat skeptical not because he thought his friend would lie but because he seriously doubted that any conversation with Hadrian Usher would be anything other than stressful. Maybe it was different because he wasn’t technically Zevran’s superior, but either way, if the man could survive the Captain Commander, he could probably handle the lieutenant.

Zevran may have given him the choice to leave, but as they stepped inside the office to Woodwick’s new assistant’s cheery welcome - Ber simply looked at him for a moment before offering an awkward, “Hi,” in response - it became clear that Woodwick had not. There were two chairs positioned in front of the lieutenant’s desk. Deeply regretting ever mentioning Zevran to the officer, Ber took the one on the left and silently watched as the Nevermerean introduced himself to the Dresmondi.

Zevran smiled at the man who opened the door, his good mood infectious, and perhaps needed to lighten the mood before this conversation that was bound to send him spiraling in one way or another.

He stepped inside the office, murmuring a thanks as his gaze fell on the man sitting on the other side of the desk. He studied him for a moment, attempting to discern whether Ber had been exaggerating about how 'not fun' the man was. But he was left wondering as he took his seat before the Lieutenant stood and reached across a desk, offering his hand.

Zevran offered his own hesitantly, ensuring to meeting Warren's gaze. "I'm Zevran, and this is Rune." The fox had been quietly following him and Ber and had slipped inside past the assistant, taking up a spot on the floor next to Zevran's chair. She was tired of being confined inside all of these walls, Zevran knew, but she also understood why it was important.

"I will answer any questions you have the best I can," he said, settling back into his chair.

Zevran's expression never changed from the neutral look he set it into once Warren launched into his questioning, his eyes only briefly flickering as the Lieutenant finished and waited for his answer. He glanced down to run briefly, the fox lifting her head to look back, the silent conversation passing between them.

What the Lieutenant was asking was perhaps one of the hardest hitting questions he had received, and the bit of information Dresmondis would want most closely guarded, their biggest weakness. And he was about to hand it to the strongest foreign kingdom in Terra Nova on a silver platter, because what other choice did he have?

Swallowing once, he brought his gaze back to Warren's. "If a Dresmondi is killed, their dyr dies with them. However, if our dyrs are killed, we don't physically die, but it's like... it's like whatever part of us they held does die." He paused, fumbling at the words to explain. "Dresmondi who have lost their dyrs are really no longer themselves and they often act... quite strangely afterwards. But the dyrs are the ones who have the magic, so if a dyr dies, its human would just be a regular soldier like yours."

He considered the final question before shaking his head, "I don't think there is a way to break the connection beyond death. We're spirit bound, not magically bound," he said quietly, once again glancing towards Rune.

He nodded slowly, confirming what Warren asked him. "Dyrs prefer to take direction from us, but they can use it on their own if they choose to. They don't need us at all to use it."

He shifted in his chair, the only sign that the questions were making him uncomfortable, and glanced sideways at Ber. He thought he was prepared to see the soldiers of Nevermere at war with his own people, that most would surrender or join their side once they saw that Nevermere was truly there for the Eldouirs. But if Nevermere started off using such cruel measures, he feared more would fight against them.

Glancing between the lieutenant and his friend as he listened to Woodwick’s brief introduction, Ber was content to sit in his chair and let both men talk without interruption. Zevran could answer Woodwick’s questions, Woodwick could forget that Ber existed, and when this meeting was over, Ber and Zevran could go commiserate about how miserable any amount of interaction with the lieutenant was. Then came the first question, and the soldier froze.

Woodwick really went right for the throat, didn’t he. At least this would support Ber’s claim as to the general unpleasantness of having to talk to him.

Admittedly, he was somewhat curious about Zevran’s answer himself, having not known nor thought it particularly kind to ask after the specifics. His brow furrowed at the answer. Of course, Woodwick was asking with the intention to applying whatever he learned toward defeating the Dresmondi who fought alongside the Eldouir, but Ber could only think of his friend suffering such a fate. The possibility troubled him.

When Zevran glanced over at him, Ber thought he seemed a little uncomfortable - or perhaps the soldier was simply projecting. Still, the chance that he wasn’t projecting had the soldier looking back at Woodwick and clearing his throat. “I’m not sure how easy it is to separate a Dresmondi from their dyr, sir,” He spoke up, having decided in the moment that he would be willing to take some of the attention off Zevran. Ber was more accustomed to dealing with the lieutenant anyway. “If that’s what you’re thinking. They tend to stay very close together.” Of course, he only had one reference for such a claim, but that didn’t mean he thought he was wrong.

Zevran was reminded of a question the Captain Commander had asked him. What would you have us do with those that won't give up arms?

Whatever you must, is what Zevran had told him, and he had meant it. Still meant it, but he was starting to get a clearer picture of what exactly that would mean for those Dresmondi and it was unsettling to say the least.

Glancing back up, he tuned back into the conversation that was being held between Ber and the Lieutenant. "I don't know if it's worth noting, and I know your soldiers won't have any qualms, but... Dresmondi don't touch each other's dyrs. It's just... taboo to do so. I assume even those under the Eldouir still abide by that." Perhaps they had been so thoroughly turned against their own people that they wouldn't care anymore.

"So unless your soldiers make a habit of snatching up animals, I would not count on dyrs getting separated from their Dresmondi. Beyond that, not all of them are as small as Rune. And not all of them are land animals." He sighed and tried to settle further into his chair, bracing himself for the remainder of the conversation.

"I mean, we're all as susceptible to injuries and pain as anyone else. In fact, we do share pain between ourselves to a certain extent, so if you injure one grievously enough it might incapacitate the other."

"Any element you could think of, there is a dyr that can wield it," Zevran started, before naming off the specific ones, his eyes flicking up towards the ceiling in concentration. "Air, water, earth, fire, plant, lightning, ice, metal, light, and dark."

The list was as daunting as it had been every time he'd given it to whatever Nevermeran had asked about their magic. He shook his head at the second part of the question. "Limitations... I don't know what you mean by that. I mean, dark is Rune's element and she can't inflict direct damage with it, but the others..." He shook his head again, unable to think of anything else.