Raven's Watch treasure planet

whatever brief invitation had decorated the features of the red warrior now faded beneatht eh stonework of her voice. teya steeled herself, wishing badly to cringe aside and creep into a different shadow. but that would not be tolerated, and therefore it was not something she must even contemplate.
"always like this," the girl rejoined in a voice she forced above a mumble. "speaking, hard. choosing a word, hard. they believe i stupid," hadn't they? faded. dim. something is wrong with teya.
"not stupid." defiance flaring in her voice, as much for valmúa as for the specters of her aunt and uncle.
"better not to speak." there were other ways to communicate, after all.
but anger burned in the little flower's belly.