Anari's lips quirked in distaste. Everyone thought they were different. "Maybe," she acquiesced to his statement. "Maybe you are different. But in future I'd be careful with your mark - not everyone wants someone in their head. Not without invitation, anyway."
Anari sat silently, giving nothing away as she listened to Aeodan speak. He spoke easily, but it was like he was solving a puzzle by speaking aloud. Each sentence delved deeper into the crux of the issue. All of her nervous twitching had stilled, and she regarded Aeodan intensely with pupil-less eyes. It was evident that his response was incredibly important to her - if not personally, then at least ideologically.
"I believe you," she said, quietly, looking down at the page. "As long as you remember what's important. My mother didn't, and I suffered for it. But you... it sounds like you know what matters." Anari looked up, and surprised Aeodan: she smiled. It was an honest smile. Not a grin, or a beam, but just a simple smile to show that she appreciated the sincerity in Aeodan's words.
Suddenly, she straightened, indicating that that personal conversation was over. Clearing her throat, she listened to what Aeodan had translated, nodding along. "Very good," she said, nodding, and she meant it. "The meaning is all there. The last line perhaps has too many syllables for the rhythm in Common, but you've done well." She leaned back in the chair, and regarded Aeodan thoughtfully.
"It seems that was too easy for you. Let's try one more." Standing, she went to the bookshelves, and pulled out another book - this one for adults, and surprisingly in Common. The title read, Old Lays of the Land. Which land? The book did not give much else away. Thumbing through the pages as she sat down, she stopped on a certain page, and pointed out a paragraph.
"This one," she said. "Just the first paragraph. And as you're writing, talk me through the decisions you make. Why you've chosen that word, and what it means. It's one thing to get literal translation, and another thing to get the meaning and context behind it." Anari sat back and waited for Aeodan to translate the following text.
That was how at first Alon came to know the Eidisi Pressina. And she was so sweet and gentle that by and by he persuaded her to be his wife. It was not a very wise thing for a Eidisi to wed a Aukari, and Pressina promised only on condition that he should never come to see her when she had children.
Anari sat silently, giving nothing away as she listened to Aeodan speak. He spoke easily, but it was like he was solving a puzzle by speaking aloud. Each sentence delved deeper into the crux of the issue. All of her nervous twitching had stilled, and she regarded Aeodan intensely with pupil-less eyes. It was evident that his response was incredibly important to her - if not personally, then at least ideologically.
"I believe you," she said, quietly, looking down at the page. "As long as you remember what's important. My mother didn't, and I suffered for it. But you... it sounds like you know what matters." Anari looked up, and surprised Aeodan: she smiled. It was an honest smile. Not a grin, or a beam, but just a simple smile to show that she appreciated the sincerity in Aeodan's words.
Suddenly, she straightened, indicating that that personal conversation was over. Clearing her throat, she listened to what Aeodan had translated, nodding along. "Very good," she said, nodding, and she meant it. "The meaning is all there. The last line perhaps has too many syllables for the rhythm in Common, but you've done well." She leaned back in the chair, and regarded Aeodan thoughtfully.
"It seems that was too easy for you. Let's try one more." Standing, she went to the bookshelves, and pulled out another book - this one for adults, and surprisingly in Common. The title read, Old Lays of the Land. Which land? The book did not give much else away. Thumbing through the pages as she sat down, she stopped on a certain page, and pointed out a paragraph.
"This one," she said. "Just the first paragraph. And as you're writing, talk me through the decisions you make. Why you've chosen that word, and what it means. It's one thing to get literal translation, and another thing to get the meaning and context behind it." Anari sat back and waited for Aeodan to translate the following text.
That was how at first Alon came to know the Eidisi Pressina. And she was so sweet and gentle that by and by he persuaded her to be his wife. It was not a very wise thing for a Eidisi to wed a Aukari, and Pressina promised only on condition that he should never come to see her when she had children.
