Those red eyes flit down, blinking a bit owlishly. But the touch surprisingly does seem to gentle him. It's not the sort of response he's used to, and it cools that fire back down to a simmer.

"That's all they'd want?" Well he's got plenty of stories, that's true. And he can pick up a rock somewhere if he has to. It's not as bad as it could be, though it's still quite the change from the life of luxury he's gotten used to.
"I guess I don't have much choice."