It does.

Though his answer comes through the Mote, his voice is quieter still, the voice of his partner and presence through their Bond enough to lull him into a sense of security for the first time in days. He'd like to close his eyes to imagine the reef -- it has always helped him envision things in his mind's eye when he closes his true ones; however, he fears what lurks in the darkness when he does, what lingers on the edge of his periphery in both this world and others. The fear he might not awaken is enough to stir him into speaking again.

I have only seen what reefs look like in illustrations. The waters around Bear Den are not particularly warm -- not really the right place for such things.

Glacius might not find Carlisle in his search, but tracking him down isn't too difficult: he left a trail of ink behind him. In some places, it isn't much more than a footprint and some droplets; in others, it is a thick, viscous pool, more congealed than it has ever been. At the door of the building he's using as his sanctuary are handprints, a dark puddle spilling across the threshold.