[This is cheating. He's almost positive this is cheating, and he glares down at her from the tree to make sure she knows what he's thinking. (It's a weak glare, too affectionate to really count.)]

Aiyah, look at all this backtalk! The sass! Who'd you learn that from? [Not him, she was sassy when he met her, but he likes to think he had a little influence.

After a long pause he peeks down again and gives the ground a cursory once over.]

...they're gone, right? They're not anywhere in the sunlight room?