Darin had to think about that. It wasn’t that the explanation was lacking. If anything, it was more than enough. Darin even thought it was a nice belief. The thought of not having to explain yourself to the judge that waited for you after you died was nice. The thought that anyone could know everything about you just by looking at your face was less pleasant, but the thought of knowing if a new person could be trusted in just a glance was relieving. She just didn’t like the thought of Ridahne going to this Keeper without the whole story of her life.

Darin urged Talbot forward in front of Tsura only to stop suddenly. Her face was earnest, “You told me once that this … adventure wouldn’t become part of your ojih. Yet you also say that The Keeper will judge your life based on what he sees in your ojih.” She sighed, “All it says now is that you are a traitor and an exile. It doesn’t say anything about you being the Guardian of the Seed-Bearer.” Darin paused as she steeled herself to correct herself, “My Guardian. It says nothing about you being Seed-Chained.” She asked a question she knew might not make complete sense. “What happens when you are no longer Seed-Chained and become Seed-Honored? Will that part of your story not become part of the story you tell others?” Darin sighed, “I know you said you don’t have mark for it, but this is something new. Maybe you could think of something new.” She pulled Talbot back around to head back down the road, “I can’t say I understand the Azurein culture as well as either one of us would like, but I do know this. I know that if the purpose of the ojih is to tell a story to people and gods alike, and if honesty is one of the goals, then you need to tell the whole story; not just the parts you want to tell or think need to be told.” She smiled, “Think about it and then tell me why I’m wrong.” She laughed, “Maybe we can talk instead of yell for once.”

It was a joke. It was supposed to be a joke. Hopefully Ridahne would take it as a joke. Well, the last part about not yelling was a joke. Darin didn’t think her observation regarding putting the fact that Ridahne was the Guardian onto the Elf’s ojih was a joke; at least she wasn’t trying to joke. The human would admit that she didn’t completely understand the oijh. She might not ever really understand it. She did know that Ridahne said that important things became part of the oijh, and Darin couldn’t think of anything more important than fighting for the future of Astra. She may have misstepped, but she didn’t think it was too terrible. She wasn’t sure though.

Though she wasn’t going to promise what Ridahne asked her to promise. She wasn’t going to go around touching the ojih randomly or without reason. Darin got why that just wasn’t a thing. She could respect that it was a major invasion. The human just couldn’t promise that she wouldn’t destroy an ojih. She wasn’t planning on doing so, but if she had to choose between her life or a person’s who was trying to kill her face, she would pick her life. Also, there was a belief, a human belief, that some people, some cruel, evil people, did not deserve peace is life or death. It was why the village had burned the rapist that had come from Lively. He hadn’t gotten the peace of being buried to help the crops grow. If an unmarked ojih gave a person a place in the Hall of Spirits, there was a possibility, however slight, that there were people who didn’t deserve that honor. Darin was not going to say that out loud unless Ridahne pressed the issue. Sometimes discretion was best.