"...Ah. Yes, that makes sense." Sam had indeed not seen much plantlife in Halo on his visit. Suddenly a whole crop of questions to research came to his mind. Did they eat mostly animal products, then? How had they gathered any crops before the opening of the portals? Could they get fish in the half-frozen Sea of Glass? All things to find out and further delay heading home.
When it turned out he could assist Loren with his specific question, Sam's eyes lighting up with recognition, he pulled back the chair and went to sit down, a smile on his face. "Yes, as a matter of fact, I do. There were instructions for a greenhouse to build in Deepfrost and the plants that would be suitable in one of the texts I studied. What do you need to know?" Maybe this was what being a Loreseeker was meant to be about after all.
He hadn't expected a question about himself - Sam looked up, surprised. Was it that obvious he was avoiding home for a reason? "It's...difficult to go back, knowing he won't...be there. I-I mean, I'm sorry, obviously it's worse for you." It seemed he was determined to trip over his words where Loren was involved. "But I just...every time I walk past somewhere I think 'was it here? Did he take him here?', then when I get home all I see is all the times he lied and told me he cared."
