Dragoncrest Cliffs granny helped me take the wise route

taking in the spray of the sea and chani’s solemn observation, sobeille got the sense that perhaps she was being examined by her cousin. to be known did not bother sobeille — if anything, having someone to share the knowing with warmed a part of her heart often cold with disinterest — but it was best chani not peer too far in. there were parts and places of sobeille’s unknowable heart that not even sobeille dared to venture.

when chani first declared she didn’t have love for men, sobeille’s heart fluttered with kindred hope — yet that nascent hope died a fragile death seconds after, as chani stated women did not intrigue her either.

dat sounds like an imaginary man. sobeille teased. like her cousin she thought of the men of sapphique; safe. bland. altogether unattractive to sobeille. dere was dis one boy at de hunt last year, from de moonpacks. he seemed — dare she say it? she winced: nice. what sobeille liked, specifically, was that he seemed a tabula rasa; he was quiet and introspective, but not stupid. ’is name be @Matteo. but mebbe dere be other men too. de moonpacks probably have one or two our age — or are you t’inking you go further inland?