"We were introduced years ago when he was a baby, so big," she says, gesturing the lap-size Skan was when they met.

That gets a smile and chuckle. "Are there more of him?" 

"Hundreds! A mage called Urtho invented them."

"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!" 

"Not him personally, but his school." 

Ta'ana seems pretty dubious of this but doesn't argue with his claim. 

:Why is she so surprised?:

: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: 

:- 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:

:There are probably a lot of people who'd need Mindhealing by, uh, your standards. But I doubt they'll trust you to do it to them. None of the kids here are Gifted, but all the boys over ten will be on the raid - we can ask when they get back: 

:Okay. - do you think they'll let them go get training, if there is anyone -:

:I mean, if they're mages then who's going to be able to stop them? ...They might not want to go. It's scary, right, leaving everyone you've ever known in your life?: 

:I think you took a perhaps unnecessarily scary route - I mean maybe it was necessary for you but they can just Gate back with us and visit their families on weekends, if they want:

:I think most people aren't as adventurous as us. But I guess we could be pretty convincing about how the Tower is nice and - oh, I should tell them there's always enough food to eat there, that'd be tempting: 

Aza gets out her nuts and raisins and passes them around.

This gets her delighted smiles of gratitude from everyone, including Ta'ana! 

Oh good.

And shortly later Skan is back! This time he lands well away from the camp and approaches slowly, in the ungainly waddling way that gryphons have of walking; by the time he's within range to talk to them, the children are giggling about this and seem entirely at ease, though the younger women are still tense and trying to tuck their children protectively behind them. 

"I ssaw them!" Skan calls out. "Everyone is fine." 

....Oh, good. Ma'ar relaxes a little, and translates. 

Ta'ana claps her hands delightedly. "What a useful creature!" 

"Skan's a good friend, yeah." She'll just pretend that's what she meant.

They go on sitting around the very smoky fire, with Ta'ana occasionally making very-rude-by-Tantaran-standards small talk with Azabel, and Skan keeping a courteous distance from the camp. 

Eventually some of the children shyly ask Azabel if they can go pet her gryphon friend too? 

"I can ask him! Hey Skan, can the kids pet you?"

"Yess! Of coursse!" 

This is very exciting but Skan will hold so so so so still in order to avoid scaring them. 

Pet?