[Unfortunately, friendship and togetherness won't make him feel better about that one; there's too much trauma tied up in it. Eustace might be reminded of the mood of an "anonymous" conversation regarding noctaere...]

I wasn't the only one around last time, either, but that didn't make it any less miserable.

[But he won't let the conversation get too deep into that topic, not when they have another task on their hands.]

Is that the stables over there?