Permafrost Hollows when springtime came, red robin built a nest,

keen, is the name the girl offers him, and out of habit, keen, he repeats it back in acknowledgement, testing it. as far as names go it's a lot simpler than others he has came across on his travels. he wonders if he should offer some sort of platitude but he can't remember the last time he said 'it's nice to meet you' to someone — not because he didn't find it nice, just because sometimes convention got old — and doesn't see the need to start now. there was still the mulling issue that their first meeting begins with her wandering around the tunnels beneath the hollows. all new recruits — though unlikely to be turned away — have to be brought to him to be vetted; even if she wasn't planning to stay he's a little affronted that his permission wasn't sought beforehand — despite that he realizes his frequent recruitment drives makes it a bit hard to ask permission.

before he can begin asking questions, however, she has one for him first. i found a cavern with a hot spring in it, wintersbane recalls. but the coolest one i've found so far is the glowworm cavern. the glowworms look like thousands of little blue stars on the ceiling and on the walls, illuminating the whole cavern and the small meltwater pool. that was where i just came from, actually. he admits. there could be other cool features deeper in the tunnels but those remain yet unexplored, at least by wintersbane.

how did you come to be here at the vartija, keen? the sotaherra asks her over his shoulder after a small lull in the conversation. wintersbane's tone isn't accusing but the question itself wasn't entirely casual; there is information he's missing and blanks to be filled in.