Tsura dug his hooves into the packed dirt and reared back a little as Talbot sudddenly appeared to block his path. Ridahne was a very experienced rider and experienced with Tsura as well, so she responded quickly and not only stayed on his back, but soothed him with a quick word and a hand on his neck. Mostly the elf was just surprised Darin had maneuvered Talbot like that—-both in the sense that she’d done it for some reason and that she’d actually managed to do it. A little part of her glowed with pride as she remembered the fumbling that went on when Darin first rode Talbot. She’d come a long way in just a few days, and the next time Darin made some self-deprecating comment about how clumsy she was, Ridahne was going to remind her of that.

The elf listened. Intently. This was serious stuff they were speaking about, and she felt...honored? Grateful? That Darin was taking this as seriously as she was. It meant a lot to Ridahne. The elf eventually allowed a slow, thoughtful smile and a soft laugh. “No,” she said in a tone that was both jovial and serious like iron. “You aren’t wrong. I have thought idly about it since that conversation, but there’s a lot I don’t have answers for. You’re right. This is something entirely new...”

They began walking again, and for a while Ridahne was silent, a slight frown pursing her inked brow together. At last she said, “I do know this, and I hope it is some comfort to you as we figure out this little dilemma, but I am not necessarily doomed to wear this mark as it is now forever. The mark will never go away, just like my deeds. But I am more than a single incident, and we understand that things change. Just as there is a mark for deep treachery, there is a mark for redemption too. It is not so specific as being...” She almost choked on the words as the gravity of them really hit her for the first time, “Seed...Honored. But if you fear that I will die and still be marked a traitor, fear not. But...” she sighed.

 “I don’t think that will really be adequate to describe...it. You’re right. THis is something new. I’m not even sure how to go about doing it. I mean, we have a book, a huge ancient tome with an index of every known mark, its variations, and its meaning. It would have to be officially added to the book, and to do that, I would need to speak to the Sols, as they are its keeper. But who decides what the mark is? Do I? Do they? Or would I need to consult a master tattooer? I don’t even think there are any rules on that. So...I guess I would.” She was thinking out loud. “But I want you to have the final approval of it. I could give you some viable options, you know, and you could tell me which one you think is best.”

Ridahne smiled brightly. Come to think of it, she was quite excited by the idea. “I would love if you were involved. I don’t expect you to be the one to tattoo me, but maybe as a ceremonial thing, you could do the first strike. I would show you where to put the needle, and all you’d have to do is dip it in the ink and smack it with a stick.” She smiled and slapped one hand over her fist. “But I’ll need some time to design an appropriate mark.”