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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
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anticipating_night
:That would be the idea. Ma'ar, can you explain? Or at least ask if I can Mindspeak them:
small-and-alone
:I'll explain:
And Ma'ar does his best to do that, in the Predain tongue.
There are STARTLED SHRIEKS. Not from Ta'ana, who just raises her eyebrows, but from several of the other women and children.
without-fear
Skan is holding so carefully still and feels kind of hurt that this apparently didn't help.
without-fear
Awwww. Skan sort of leans his head against her. Very carefully, since his head is bigger across than her torso.
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.
This part gets oohs and aahs from the children, though the women still look scared.
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.
