Tiberius
Tiberius let a few minutes pass before he made any attempt to reply. He was knew he was depressed, and he hated it. Why should he have any excuse to be down? This little hike was nothing. He had just escaped from a season of forced labor! No more sleeping in a dank cell with hopeless wolves, now the sky could be his ceiling once again! It was a shame that there were so many left behind in that cave, sure, but that didn't mean he couldn't take a moment to celebrate his own life.
"What'd you miss most 'bout being free when we were down there?" Tiberius asked. Then, answering his own question while she thought, he continued, "I missed hearin' the birds. It was so strange waking up to the bark of guards rather than the tweet of birds. I bet there will even be a phoenix or too cawing in the morning even up here!"
His little attempt to spin a positive conversation did help a little, and grin tugged at the corners of his mouth at the thought of seeing the fabled fire bird.