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Ranara and her little daughter Azabel move to Urtho's Tower when the latter can say six words ("up", "mama", "milk", "no", "now", and "please") and hasn't started to walk yet. Ranara sets up to teach little children to read, ones who don't have evident Gifts yet - Ranara herself has Mindspeech, is all, with about a classroom's worth of range. Azabel sits in on classes, worn on her mother's back or later plopped in a corner with toys or, when she's only four, plopped in a corner with a book, younger than the other kids in the class. When Azabel has in fact sat through her mother's curriculum she is turned somewhat loose, to walk very carefully up and down and around the Tower, exploring.
smol bell in urtho's tower
small-and-alone
"Shhh, he's our friend!" Ma'ar is trying to reassure the women. "He won't hurt you."
This does not convince any of the others to relax, but eventually Ta'ana scowls, rolls her eyes, gets up, and marches across to Skan.
"You better behave yourself here," she barks at him.
small-and-alone
Since Skan doesn't speak the language, Ma'ar helpfully translates this in Mindspeech.
small-and-alone
Ma'ar is now realizing that he maybe should have warned Azabel of this fact. It didn't seem notable to him before.
Eventually it seems that Skan has received approval from on high to go scout and look for the men, and Ta'ana is even smiling a little bit about it.
without-fear
Skan is so excited but he doesn't vibrate even a tiny bit. He bows courteously to her and then takes off.
They are offered a second helping of stew. (The stew is mostly unflavoured and not that good compared to the food at Urtho's Tower.)
"You have interesting friends," Ta'ana says eventually, in the Predain tongue but addressing Azabel.
anticipating_night
"Thank you," says Azabel. She doesn't complain about the stew. Or even stir a spice packet into it.
anticipating_night
"We were introduced years ago when he was a baby, so big," she says, gesturing the lap-size Skan was when they met.
"Urtho," Ta'ana repeats, once Ma'ar translates for her. "He must be very powerful." To Ma'ar: "Did you convince a mage like that to teach you? You. I cannot believe it!"
small-and-alone
:I don't know. I - guess she doesn't have that high an opinion of me? Or - thinks it's not the sort of thing that - people like us, could do:
anticipating_night
:- she knows you're a mage, right? - are there any other Gifted kids around who might want to go. Or while I'm thinking of it anybody who needs Mindhealing as long as I'm here: