Hoshor Plains Gentle Girl, Gentle Step

sobeille’s dark capped ear turned to ajei as the girl spoke of her world; of deer and rabbits, which were familiar — but of other things too.

hearths, voles, sunmen, and goats. what be a goats? sobeille piped up, imagining some sort of fish with four legs.

the conversation turned to men. sobeille’s experience of them was limited to the men of sapphique — who remained in the background. this was how sobeille preferred them - this cavorting out in public seemed gaudy and wrong. noting the blame placed on the men’s mothers, sobeille pursed her lips, realizing none of sapphique’s men were here. we left our men at home, where dey belong.