A bitter guardian

It's lucky she's spared the ricochet, as the stranger gives a weary sigh and a vague wave of his hand. Most notably, the ring stops glowing, since he's dropped the shield around her. There's still one around himself, because he hasn't lived this long being careless, but he can maintain that by less obvious means. "I assure you, I've known Balthazar far longer than you have. When did you send the first text he didn't answer? Knowing how long he's been gone would help in finding out why and where he's gone."