Perhaps unfortunately for them both, Cain was far from the type who would shy away from adversity or difficult subjects. He had little patience for shielding oneself from uncomfortable things just because someone might not like them; that was their own decision to make and it was probably better to put out in the open besides. Valdis' reaction only made him more certain he needed to hear this.

"I'd be a very different man if I ran away from anything I might not want to deal with," he said, patient and stern. Nothing overly powerful but enough to show his resolve. He'd run from things before, sure, but only once they'd become unbearable and he saw no other option. Abel was the exception to that, as he always was. "It won't change the facts whether or not you tell me, will it?"