Alain answered with an unfeigned yawn and a smile. "Hard to say, as I was already close to falling down from tiredness," he replied, rather wryly. "As for Roland, you'd be mad not to fear him. He's the truest gunslinger I've ever known. And at our heart, what gunslingers are is still killers."

He said it simply, as if it could be no other way. And, really, it couldn't. What they had always been taught was to make themselves weapons. Bert's silliness and brashness, Alain's own quiet kindness... those were really just the covers that the weapons wore. He would never consider anyone less for fearing Roland, who wore no cover over the gleaming steel underneath. Roland had never scared Alain - even if he'd made him worry endlessly - but that was only because they were of a kind.

If he was honest, his only doubt about Kaine fearing Roland was that she didn't fear him and Bert too.

Finishing off his tea, he set the mug aside and settled down under the covers, closing his eyes. "Anyroad, I don't think you'd have to worry about any crossed links. Nariko and Roland only have eyes for each other, anyone can see that." He yawned again.