For a brief moment Darin felt like an outsider as Mitaja came to knock Hadian to the ground. This was a reunion for Ridahne, Hadian, Mitaja, Tsura, not for her. Despite what Hadian had called her [i]Darin Torzinei[/i] she wasn’t actually their family. She was an outsider and her family was roads away from here. Then Taja, who did not like being left out, especially when his person was not paying attention to him and him alone, swooped over to land on Mitaja and peck questioningly at Hadian’s earing that matched Ridahne’s. Darin let out a laugh as she gently brushed at the bird. 

She switched from Azurei to the language of her home as Taja responded better to that tongue for some reason, “Taja! Enough of that! Hadian is our guest.” She held out a hand to the hawk, “Come on.” As Taja hopped to land on her shoulder she switched back to Azurei, “You’ll have to forgive Taja. He’s a bit wary of strangers.” She gestured in vaguely the right direction, “We are currently as southeasterly as we can get in Astra. I live just about as far northwesterly in human lands as is possible.” She held out her hands for the man’s consideration, “My village has no name. It is probably just as humble as Atakhara, but we never considered ourselves poor as we wanted for very little. I was a farmer. I worked the land to help things like wheat and barley grow. I am not meant for roads or danger.” Her smile had returned full force as she looked the man dead in the eye, “I am Tree-Blessed to have literally fallen into Ridahne Torzinei.” She shook her head slowly, “I have not met many others who wear the name Torzinei, but I assure you that your wife is right.” She spoke with such confidence and surety that only a fool would question her, “There is no shame, whatsoever, in that name. You offer it to me, and it is a gift I would be willing to take whole heartily.” It was her turn to lightly tug at the earring that proclaimed him a Torzenei, “I think I’ll skip this though. It is gorgeous, but it is not the human way.”

That didn’t mean she was earring free. In fact, Taja was currently tugging at the silver cuff that was clamped around her upper ear. Jules had been wearing something similar as she lay dying. It had some sort of symbol on it, but Darin’s was unadorned. It was simple and plain, like her. Yet it held a power than not many truly knew, again, just like her. Darin still had no tattoos. She wasn’t sure that would change anytime soon. She just couldn’t think of any that she wanted to get. Maybe that would change in Azurei. She knew she wouldn’t get any on her face though. It wouldn’t be right. She had learned and studied culture after culture. She bowed to the Eluri in their way and danced in the Orosi way and played Siren instruments, but she had not changed her appearance in anyway that was not human. She had to be true to her roots.

She dropped her hand from the earring and moved it to stroke at Taja’s chest, “But enough about me. My life is fairly boring. I am confident that yours is much more interesting. Tell me about Atakhara. Tell me about your wedding. Tell me about your wife. What are your days like? What’s your favorite food. Smell? Sights? Are you expecting children? What will you name a child when it comes? Any details you can think of. I want to know Hadian Torzenei. Not just because you are my friend’s brother, but because you are a Child of the Night Sky, a Child of Sky, a Child of Astra, and that is so much more different than a Child of Stone. Any detail, no detail is too small, I want to know.”

She wasn’t usually so direct. Usually she took the information she was given and they poked and prodded in the same direction until the person she was bothering grew bored with that subject and switched it. She let the teacher lead the conversation. It was how she had learned about coffee farming, mining, both metal and stones, sailing, investing money into goods, ship building, carpentry, dog breeding, tailoring, whatever people wanted to teach her. Yet there was so much to learn. She had a whole world to learn and know. She was getting better. She knew more now than she ever knew existed. Her knowledge with languages had improved with leaps and bounds, as has her reading and writing. She couldn’t honestly say she was just a farmer anymore. She was a student, and an overeager on at that.