The little light bloomed to life between Hanabaptiste’s fingers and a change appeared in the young lad almost immediately. He had been casual—distanced, but at ease—and his eyes were inquisitive and searching. But as he jumped back, bare feet spread apart in a defensive stance like he was about to fight, that feral glint came back in his lapis eyes. He hadn’t shifted yet, but he seemed every bit the snarling wolf with ears back that she’d first seen. But he silently watched the little light float there, stay there, emitting only a soft glow. It took him a moment to understand, but then once he knew its purpose, he looked at it with a little more appreciation and slowly settled back down into his seat of rope.

He studied her letters. He hardly knew any of them, except ones that were in his name too, or the one B that he knew belonged to the first part of “Berlin”. He had no qualms with calling her something else for their sessions—names and their personal uses, he understood completely. Prefixes, however, he did not.

“Does that mean you call me Miss Ja’aisen when you teach?” His question was genuine, head tilted. He had absolutely no idea what Miss or Mister meant, much less that they were gender specific. To him, it was some kind of honorific added to the name to show respect. Like Ca-mm Berlin.

He opened the book and looked at it, a confused, glassy stare in his eyes. There were so many! He looked at the first word. SCENE. “What’s that first one mean? The first letter? Is that ssssss like Seuville? And the next one? I know that one there makes a nnnn sound. I have one in my name. See...” he looked down at the book in his hands, “I know how letters work. Like, each shape has a name and they combine to make a word. I just don’t know what all of them are called...”

—-


[i]Ding da da dee ding dum...[/I]

“Uban, I...”

[i] Da dum ding dee ding da dum...[/i]

“Uban I ask if you will become my apprentice and if you will enter the service of the gods of the sea.”

[i]Dee da dee DONG.[/i]

Uban sat up almost as abruptly as his off note. “Say what?” He wasn’t sure what he was expecting the old man to say, but it sure wasn’t that. He set the lute aside. The younger man looked around as if there was another Uban for him o be speaking to, then back to Pieter, blinking. “You mean me? A priest...?” He had never thought of himself as the religious sort. It wasn’t that he didn’t believe there was something out there, he just had other things to concern himself with. But he couldn’t deny the sincerity in Pieter’s eyes; clearly this meant a lot to him.

“I mean, I’m honored that you’d pick me but...what...what does that even mean? I don’t know anything about....the Salt? I mean I know Berlin talks about the mermaid spirit Tevira, but....well really I don’t know anything. You....really want me as your apprentice?”