Wheeling Gull Isle there's nothing left for me to stay

atausiq is quiet as hua speaks to her sister once more in their shared tongue, content to listen to the rise and fall of syllables even though he does not know what is passed between them. it is only when ying speaks to him, drawing the words in her native tongue carefully, slowly — no doubt for his benefit! — offering him the translate shortly thereafter. atausiq offers a sage nod of understanding as she lets it be known to him that she is her sister's keeper. ying need not worry about him; for it might've been rebellion and revolution that has spurred his runaway from easthollow in the first place he will not — cannot! — break the ironclad contract his father had struck; a deal he, himself agreed to.

he was in this, for better or worse.

ying then informs him she will teach him how to fight, adding because he was her brother. thank you. regardless of her reasons, he is grateful. grateful of her willingness to mentor him, and her acceptance of him. of him and hua. foreign to their culture he isn't sure how much of a choice any of them really have, given hua's status ...but nevertheless, it makes it easier for everyone involved. i'm sure that given time i'll learn them. though presently, he was more worried about being able to protect them than he was learning their language — that would come with time, atausiq does not doubt.