"Maybe need protecting from ourselves." That rang unerringly true within Zarayne's mind. The mottled reddened skin that covered her upper body was a testament to the dangers of the One Power. Or, at least the dangers of using saidar without a proper understanding. Only subsequent to the mishap that left her body marked did she learn just how much worse it could have been.
The Aielwoman shifted that thought back into the recesses of her mind. She had paid her toh for that calamity, and had to move on.
Zarayne's gaze followed Affie's face as the darker novice rose to her feet. It was clear from the expression on the Altaran that she was intent on matching actions to words. Zarayne still thought it strange -- even with the dangers she herself had witnessed -- to have need for a bodyguard.
But then again, maybe it wasn't? This was a more of a mutual pact. The term 'spear sisters' floated in and out of her head, but she understood some of what was being inferred. "I'd be happy to help," Zarayne replied from the floor. It was hard to understand cultural norms without having a guide, and the Grey Tower had countless unspoken rules she found herself falling afoul of. That was not precisely what Affie had meant, but it was what Zarayne needed.
The slender Aielwoman rose up and offered out one of her hands, angled towards the ground. It was something the Wetlanders did when it came to agreements, 'shaking hands'. Zarayne didn't have to understand it to know it was the done thing.
The Aielwoman shifted that thought back into the recesses of her mind. She had paid her toh for that calamity, and had to move on.
Zarayne's gaze followed Affie's face as the darker novice rose to her feet. It was clear from the expression on the Altaran that she was intent on matching actions to words. Zarayne still thought it strange -- even with the dangers she herself had witnessed -- to have need for a bodyguard.
But then again, maybe it wasn't? This was a more of a mutual pact. The term 'spear sisters' floated in and out of her head, but she understood some of what was being inferred. "I'd be happy to help," Zarayne replied from the floor. It was hard to understand cultural norms without having a guide, and the Grey Tower had countless unspoken rules she found herself falling afoul of. That was not precisely what Affie had meant, but it was what Zarayne needed.
The slender Aielwoman rose up and offered out one of her hands, angled towards the ground. It was something the Wetlanders did when it came to agreements, 'shaking hands'. Zarayne didn't have to understand it to know it was the done thing.
