"I'm not sure why you'd expect it to be complicated."

"Screening procedures can get really complicated in my world. Lots of ways even for ordinary humans to cause a lot of problems."

"We can handle it if an ordinary human starts causing problems, by and large."

"Yeah; most places only bother making sure you're not carrying a weapon, if that. High security places are usually more paranoid, though."

"So if you only need someplace to stay for a few weeks I'm sure there's someone who's sick and needs things fetched and carried, or something, down in the village... the language'll be a bit of a problem, though, maybe we can find a place for you here where paladins can translate."

"...I really think you'll get more out of me if I dump my science knowledge on you or if you let me fight, but, whatever, not my problem."

"The country's not at war so they're not looking for soldiers, and you're not a paladin so we can't send you to fight dark things. I'm not sure what you mean by science knowledge."

"How disease spreads is like one bigger thing I remember. How do I become a paladin, and can I do that temporarily?"

"Paladins fall or retire, but you don't usually go through all the training planning to do that soon."

"You guys don't have tests for transfers or anything?"

"...tests?"

"To, like, see if my training elsewhere's up to your standards."

"We take transfers from other orders but those are still paladins."

"What can a paladin do that others can't?"

"...lots of things. We're the champions of the Lights, in this case the Winter Light, and we have a host of gifts to aid us in its service."

"Gifts like what? I have peak human agility, strength, and mental stuff, and I know people who can fly, shoot lightning, shapeshift..."

"That's... very impressive, but it doesn't make you a paladin. Paladins have mounts bound to our service, and we can perform blessings and heal ourselves, and we can talk to people whose languages we don't know the way I'm doing now with you, and we don't get sick, and we're immune to dark taint..."

She shrugs. "Sounds neat."

"It's enough that we don't usually die in the field, at any rate. But unless the Winter Light - or some other Light - announces that your thing counts and sends you a griffin or something you're not a paladin."

She nods. "So no fighting for me, unless something goes hilariously wrong here."

"That's right. But we can probably get you room and board for a few weeks and give you chores to match, and you can pick up some Cirth so you're not too lost if you have to go to Andivar because things don't work out here."

"Right."

"Let me get you a warm coat, first of all, and then I can show you around."

"Thanks."

Kaja fetches her a fur coat. "We can never have enough people hauling wood and water, if you don't know how to do anything more elaborate."