[Oh, he knows. God, he understands too well. His smile slips a little as memories bubble to the surface, but he stuffs them back down and gives a quick nod.]

Just one of my Rooks. Looked like they'd won a bet—they were whistling a tune I've heard around the pubs, and they had a little more bounce to their step.

[It makes his heart grow a little warm. He likes his Rooks, cares about them. He can't and won't intervene directly in their work, but a gentle nudge here and there, a little hint dropped at the right time...that's not direct interference. That's just giving them information they can choose whether or not to act on.]

If you'd like, I could keep an eye out for more of these little toys.