Iari wheezed in a slow, mirthful cackle, her carven face brightening noticeably. "Child, I haven't been called "Miss" in a few centuries. Ha!" she slapped her thigh with one knobby hand. Darin was no child, but this elf was easily older than any of the Sols, and most creatures that walked the earth were children to her. Iari laboriously rose, leaning heavily on a smooth, use-polished staff of dark wood. Ajoran offered his arm to her and she took it. "Come, child, I'll show you." The ancient elf guided Darin around the kitchen, more often pointing and telling her where to find something rather than grab it herself. She was not as mobile as she once had been. She taught Darin how to make the fried bread and watched with interest as Darin made her own version with the soft spiced apples and made mental notes about what other fruits or nuts might go well in the fry bread for later. The end result was delicious. The fry bread exterior had a delicate crisp on the outside and the inside was pillowy soft with the added satisfying gooeyness of the cooked apples. Each one was rolled in cinnamon sugar. Ajoran ate his first one so fast he was already halfway through the second one when Darin asked his opinion. He laughed a little and almost choked on some inhaled sugar, which made him laugh harder. "These are incredible," he said. "Best keep these away from the Sols, they'll want them year round," he joked. Ajoran's face darkened when Darin asked how long Ridahne would be occupied. He didn't answer right away, and from the contorted lines on his tattooed brow, it was clear he was wrestling with how to answer. Taja did not often speak of their business to non-taja, with the exception of some eija. It wasn't always a rule, and it wasn't always to protect some kind of state secret. More often, it was a kindness to the listener. Azurei had a reputation for training some of the toughest warriors, but that came at a cost. Ajoran looked into Darin's eyes as if measuring her, then away again. He supposed that if this was going to be his sister by marriage, he owed her honesty. "She'll give it some time, for sure...how much time depends on how cooperative he is...and how heat tolerant he is, too. We learned a long time ago how heat can break even the strongest man in time. Even when his mind is strong, his body will waver and soon will take his mind down with it. The Azurei have perfected the technique of...[I]Baking.[/I]" He used the literal word, for he wasn't sure what else to call it. "If you want information out of someone, you stick them in a very small room with no windows and only a small vent in the roof. You stoke some coals and let them burn until the room gets unbearably hot. You can imagine that in a place like this, that's not hard to achieve. You wait until all they can think about is thirst and the want of a cool breeze, and you send in an interrogator, fresh from the outdoors. They do not need a weapon. They bring water. Questions answered to satisfaction are rewarded with water. A lack of cooperation or lies, and the interrogator will simply leave and let them bake further until they're ready to comply. In Azurei, we do not beat our prisoners. We find ways to make them uncomfortable enough that they have no choice but to submit. It's an ugly business. It's why she did not want to take you with her. That kind of grim work is her burden to bear for you and is the work required of her station. Ridahne guards not only your body, but your heart, too. Fiercely. We--the eija and taja--do secretly heavy deeds of sweat and blood so that others may never know of them. Normally I would not even speak of this to you so as not to burden you with it, but considering both your station and your place in the family now, you're owed the full answer." Ajoran stood. "But we can see if she's finished, and where we might find her. Come, bring the fry bread, it will be a welcome treat I guarantee it." Ajoran walked around the halls for a bit, eventually flagging down any other palace servant to ask if they'd seen Ridahne. One said that she'd seen Ridahne go into the baths and so she laid out fresh clothes for her, but had not seen her since. That had been an hour ago. Ajoran thought that information over, then said, "Let's check the roof. The gardens had once been a place of thought and contemplation for her, but it's a troubled place of death, now. A reminder of her past. I'd bet she's on the roof if she hasn't come to find us." Sure enough, she was. Dressed in black and gold silk, Ridahne stood out against the clay tiles as she sat with her knees drawn up to her chest and her eyes fixed on the sea. Hearing them approach, she turned, and as her eyes fell on Darin, she gave a smile that looked like it had been shot through with an arrow before it reached full bloom; a pained expression. She was happy to see them both, but seeing them made the thoughts churning inside her come uncomfortably to the surface. "Ah, there you are," she said, trying to be cheerful. "Had a good time in the market, I hope?" She caught sight of the fry bread. "And Iari let you into her kitchen, too, I see. What delicacy did you concoct?" "Apple fry bread...Darin told me of pie and made this to sort of replicate it, they're still warm." Ridahne took one and ate it, and it seemed to bring a little mirth back to her face. "The apple is just like I pictured it would be from your description, these are incredible Darin." But it was obvious something was eating at Ridahne and she could waste no time in getting it out. She stood and took Ajoran's hands in hers, pulling him close for a kiss. "Ajoran, I love you very much..." "But you need a moment alone with Darin, don't you?" Ridahne touched her forehead to his briefly, as if stealing some of his courage or resolve, then pulled away. "Yes, I do." Ajoran nodded his understanding, though he bent down to pluck another fry bread from the cloth lined basket. "Alright, but I'm taking this with me...Thank you, Darin, it's been a pleasure to have your company today." Ajoran bowed, but playfully, as if emulating a human nobleman wishing a noblelady good night, and slipped through the window and back inside. Ridahne sat back down like she weighed a thousand pounds, but she wasted no time. "Darin, there's something I feel I ought to tell you, but I don't want to. I don't want to tell you because I'm afraid of being the bearer of bad news, or complicated news or..." she threw up her hands. "I don't know. Seems like you've generally had a nice day and I don't want to ruin it," she said softly. "And the part of me that wants to protect you says I shouldn't say anything at all. But whether it's because you ought to know, or because I am still Seed-Chained and therefore there is a bond laid on me quite different from the bond of guardianship, or because it's eating me up inside and I need to tell someone I trust, I don't know, but I've decided I don't really have the choice not to tell you. I just have to." It was a long, long time before she spoke again. Where to begin? How could she tell Darin her suspicions without jumping to conclusions? She was quiet for so long that it seemed she'd dropped the thought altogether and begun a new conversation. "I know you don't like talking about it much, but please, tell me about your father, Darin. Who is he?"