She doesn't hand them back, although she doesn't speak for a moment. She's leaning forward, elbows on knees, and lightly running her fingertips over the rings. She can tell he's invested a lot into this - not just by the craftsmanship but his reactions now - and she wants to be very careful, but very clear, in what she says next.

"We went through it all for the sake of the mission, and for the sake of respecting the native culture. Legion put us on that trek. This --" She tips the container slightly, indicating the rings, "This is serious. This is something that a lot of time, and a lot of care went into. I just want to know, that ... this step, this - continuation - has more to do with who I am," She pauses, pursing her lips, weighing the words in her head, "who we are together, than what any superior has asked us to do."

Her voice is soft, slightly chocked itself at the end. Does he truly feel something for her, or was it simply because circumstance thrust them together?