Ridahne frowned. "Okay, two things. First of all, how many farmers do you personally know that are also scholars? Cultural ambassadors? Master of multiple languages? How many farmers do you know that have blade training? Any kind of real weapon training, or even grappling training beyond scaring off wolves and foxes? Do you think the Gardener was some mystical being who never got lost, or failed miserably at trying to make something, or never accidentally committed some cultural sin in an unfamiliar land? Do you think he descended from the skies, or sprouted from the earth, and came forth as an all-knowing, wise, powerful being? I understand the feeling that people of legend are somehow inherently better than us regular folk, that they are who they are because of some otherworldly virtue that we could never hope to achieve. I used to think that all the time. I used to be a dirt poor street rat who was convinced that the only option left to me in the world was to risk my life to go hunting in the Dust Sea so that we could all have enough to eat. I wanted to be something more, but I was told that I was nobody, I was told my parents did a poor job of keeping me in line and that no man would want me, and that I would amount to nothing more than a burden on society. And for a while, I believed them. But at some point I realized that all those people who I admired, they had to come from somewhere. They did not descend from the stars to take their posts, they rose up from the dust and earned their positions. And if they could, so could I. I went from being a poor fisherman's daughter to being in the Court of Sols--two steps from royalty--and for better or worse, I am the most infamous person in all of Azurei." Ridahne gave a wild laugh. "If you'd have asked me months ago if I was suited for the job of Guardian, I would have laughed! You remember that night you made me Seed Chained, I could have sworn up and down that I was not worthy, and that you were right to cast me away. But look at me, I'm here! And learning how to do this alongside you. But I had to start somewhere, Darin. Everyone does."

Ridahne took a breath, but she was unrelenting in her passion. "And my dear Darin, hearing you say all those things makes me believe even more that you are the best person for this job." The volume of her voice softened a little. "You say you're a small person, and that you never asked for this great honor. It is a great honor, and there is great power in it. More than I think either of us fully understand yet. You in your humility do not see a truth that I have learned the hard way, so painfully. I understand now that people who desire power should never have it, for the benefit of all. Not to say there aren't noble, natural born leaders out there, but think for a moment, what would this be like if you were not the Seed Bearer, but Khaltira had it instead? She was powerful, incredibly smart, highly educated, well-trained, she had many connections and much understanding of the world and the people in it. People admired her, they wanted to follow her and to be like her. People trusted and believed in her. I would know," she said softly. "That would, theoretically, make her a good choice, no? Except you and I both know she has a black heart. She was a wicked, evil, corrupt person that would just as soon have eaten the seed to spite the world as plant it. She, desiring power, would have leveraged it to make herself a Sol of not just Azurei, but of Astra, and Astra would burn for it. Astra would burn, and she would warm her hands in the flames. That is not what Astra needs. Astra needs a wisdom earned through bumps and bruises. Astra needs a justice ruled by compassion and understanding. Astra needs a shepherd, not a Sol."

Ridahne was out of breath by now.  She, in her fervor, had spoken quickly. There was no hesitation, not even a moment to consider her words or think them through. No, Ridahne meant what she said and spoke from her soul. After a moment she continued, "Besides, there's more to you than you think. For one thing, you're way better at making friends than I am. You say you're not good at it, but," Ridahne laughed, "You're a whole lot better at it than me. I actively scare people without really trying. You say, too, that you can't defend others, but I know that to be a lie. You just don't do it with a sword like I do. Do you remember the bandits who tried to steal our horses? Think for a moment about how that played out. You wanted to figure out why they were doing it, giving them the benefit of the doubt that maybe they were just trying to feed their families. And even when it came out they were gambling idiots, you did decide to punish them, but you also decided not to hurt them. Do you know what I would have done, Darin? What they do in Azurei to horse thieves? I would have asked no questions and swiftly removed their right hands. Done. Because that's how I know how to deal with those things. But is that really the right way? Because you decided to spare them, those men still have both hands, and maybe someday can get off their asses and get themselves a trade. What about the people of the little village we stayed in when I was injured? You might not have defended their person, but you risked yourself to defend their livelihoods. That's not 'nothing', Darin. That's everything. You might not be ready to be The Gardener right now, and that's okay. You do have much to do and to see and to learn. Nobody expects you to be perfect right away, that's not how life works. But you are not alone. There may be areas where you need help, or skills that you lack, and for those moments, you have me. I am here to guide you, and to serve this quest and by extension, you, for as long as I am needed. That doesn't mean it won't be hard. That doesn't mean we both won't miss home, and the people we love. That doesn't mean we won't fail. But we'll do this together, one day at a time." She held out her hand. "Right?"