Kintla Flatlands my heart will be blacker than your eyes.

She found the girl's submission unnecessary, but at the same time it did serve to inflate her ego; the flaw in a wolf so vain as Aktaiê, though it was a flaw difficult to detect. Nothing was said after the stranger's apologetic speech — another thing that had been wholly unnecessary — and the priestess returned to her feet to circle slowly around the potential recruit. It served the subtle arrogance of the Nereides, as well as served to test the younger female. She had seen greater females tremble from nerves in such an uncertain situation; this one was not Nereides born, but she could be Nereides made.

"How have you come to be alone?" she questioned finally, taking a seat back where she had started. "And your name is?"

They talked for some time, until Aktaiê finally invited the girl to join her as a follower. She would grow fond of the youth, but that would quickly grow to become ire when Cethleann vanished from Aktaiê's growing number without a trace.