Stavanger Bay the inner claims i hadn’t breadth to shake

she did not know how to take his comment-- except with a small smile. dalia could not quite grasp his charm. both velen and rannveig had sworn it was strong, and she could not doubt it's sway on her, but it made little sense to her. he was charming in a way that she simply wasn't used to-- at least, that was the conclusion she'd come to. 

though his gaze rested firmly on her own, and she tried to read it, she could not, and so she pulled it away to look back down at the shell near her feet. 

"i will keep this," the pearl said with a small wave of her tail. and then she lowered her crown to pick it up gently between her teeth at it's smaller end, holding it carefully in her jaws. and then, with a soft dip of her head, dalia said-- the best she could with the conch in her mouth-- "i will see you soon, ford." and made to leave, unless he should stop her, but she saw no reason why he would.