There had been a misunderstanding somewhere. Darin wasn’t sure where it had happened. She wasn’t surprised. She and Ridahne were close, but they still couldn’t read each other’s mind. There was no such thing as mind reading after all. The Tree was pretty adamant about that. Communication involved two people, talking, and listening, a lot of listening. With one last bow to Halyih, Darin returned to the fire. This time she sat down to Ridahne instead of her brother. This was a conversation that Hadian would get to listen too but wouldn’t really be a part of. She liked the sailor. The warrior was still her favorite Torzenei.

She smiled as she bumped her shoulder against Ridahne’s, “You know, your brother is right. Istaerih is another name for The Sea, and the Sea was speaking just as much as I was. When I speak Astra listens and my mother, and I’m sure you parents as well, taught that if some one listens to you, you should listen to them. I speak to Astra and then Astra speaks back. Istaerih likes Hadian. It thinks he’s cute. The same way we think a cat or dog is cute.” She grew solemn for a moment, “The Sea liked your father as well, but death is death. A life was due that day. He gave his. And Istaerih loves him for it. A life for a life.” There was a human phase that didn’t sound quite the same in Azurei so she switched to Astran as she bumped her friend’s shoulder again, “The apple doesn’t fall from the tree.” She switched back to Azurei, “Torzenei’s are good stock, sacrificing their entire futures to save at least one life. Who else could come to save me but the banished daughter of Jaisih Torzenei? He listened to The Sea in a way few could and was beloved by Istaerih for it. You listen to The Tree the way few choose to.” She was firm, authoritative, and left no room for question, “I will not let you, you who is beloved by The Tree, travel in your home as if you are some sort of thrice cursed stranger. That is why, even though I don’t like it, we travel to Tasen, where we will meet with the Sols, you will be granted the nimarih, and I will meet Ajoran Teleisun to decide if he is worthy of you. Then we will travel to Atakhara where I can learn about you and where you came from. Then we will zigzag, but we will skip Tasen since we were already there unless we need to resupply. You will feed me coconut, I will try my hand at climbing these trees you speak of that have no branches, and then we will travel north and out of this seasonless heat trap.”

Once, a long time ago, Ridahne had complained about missing heat. Now Darin knew how Ridahne felt, except she felt that way about cold. It was almost time for harvest. The air should be turning crisp and she should be wearing shirts with sleeves, not this sleeveless tunic with not even a cloak. She had a feeling she wouldn’t be seeing snow for a long time. Darin knew that there was beauty in all of Astra and she had seen it in most places. It was just extremely difficult when the winds blew hot in autumn! It was time to start making cider and warm milk. It was time to prepare butter for winter baking. It was time to pull out scarves and hats and gloves. This heat was slowly killing her. If this was fall Darin thanked The Tree that they hadn’t gotten here as spring turned into summer. The heat must be unbearable then. Personally, and privately she would never ever say it out loud, Darin thought Ridahne was lucky to get banish. No one was meant to live like this. How did people stand it? She barely managed not to complain every single day.