[She lets Ellie pull back, trying for a wry smile, but it just ends up a rueful twist of her mouth.]

Sometimes she heads to the Outlands for a week or so, just to get some space, and she left on a trip a few days ago, but... [A pause, a shrug, as she tries to decide how to word this.] She was acting a little off. I just thought maybe she was angry at me about something and we'd talk about it once she'd cleared her head. Seeing that other people are leaving has me worried. And she isn't answering her tablet.

[The way she says it suggests that's something strange.

Even when she's in the Outlands, Linton will answer a call.]