...Heh. The truth might actually seem the stranger answer here.

[The height difference and apparent gruffness doesn't seem to deter her, though. It's definitely a dragoon thing, that constant wariness, and yet it's hard to tell whether he's actually that cool and calm, or panicking under the surface. For Estinien, it was almost certainly the former... but, perhaps fortunately, not every dragoon is Estinien.]

I'm curious because I have some bits of information I'd be interested to compare to yours, if I'm right. There's a bit more going on here than either of us probably understand... that, and I admit there might be some personal motives, too.

[Like trying to fill the void left by the friends who currently hate her and looking for something to make herself feel better about it, but that's a secondary concern. Sort of.]