Hana watched the boy react and adjust to the light. He was very aware of the space around him, and she wondered if she'd be able to sneak up on him. Probably not. Once he understood what the light was, however, he accepted and ignored it. He wasn't an idiot, he just hadn't had a chance to learn. He had a very rudimentary understanding of the Common alphabet, and a willingness to learn. The boy studied the letter's Hanabaptiste had written, furrowing his brow. 

"Does that mean you call me Miss Ja’aisen when you teach?" He asked, looking up at her. Hana stifled a small smile and replied, "If you'd like, I can call you Master Ja'aisen. In Elbar, students call their teachers by their last name, and if they're an unmarried woman, Miss, and Missus for a married woman. Boys and men are called Master. People do this to be polite to one another, and to show respect to their betters. Since I'm your teacher, it's polite to address me by my title of Miss. If the Captain didn't have a ship, he'd be called Master too. If you meet an ordained mage, you would address them as Magister. In Elbar, it's very important to follow these rules."

Hana clicked her tongue when she saw the boy struggling. [i]It's not very fair of me to start throwing a book at him right away![/i] "Don't worry about not figuring out how to put the letters together right away, that word's a tricky one. And you were close, it's [i]scene.[/i]" Flipping the paper over, she handed him the charcoal again, "How about you show me all the letters you know, and what sounds they make. Take as much time as you need, it's not a race."

--

Pieter winced when the discordant note twanged. Mmph. Well, it had been a shock to him too when he had been asked. Pieter let Uban stammer a few questions before falling awkwardly falling silent. 

"Ha! Don't worry lad, I'm not asking you to cut off your balls or shave your head and pray ten times a day. The name priest's kinda stuck to the profession, and while there are some who're devout to the Salt and the gods, I'm not one of them. You've been at sea for some time now, and you've seen some of the strange happenings that go on far from shore. And we, the priests. Well, we're the ones who make sure those happenings don't sink the ship. Berlin knows a little about what we do, but not much. Men have been Priests of the Salt since the first fishermen went onto the water. You have a love for the sea, and you're relatively quick, too. I'm not asking you to sign your whole life away, I'd just like to introduce you to the role, and see if you're cut out for it. I've thought on this for a long time, now."