[Silmarien]

The boy was looking at her. It seemed he had heard her speak. For a moment their eyes met and she thought she saw there understanding.

Then he burst into laughter, but it was not so much mirth as relief. Relief about what she wondered? He seemed like her, yet the way he was laughing she wondered why she knew that. It was things like this knowing that had gotten her into trouble in the first place. Yet thus far her intuitions had always been right. She knew this boy was trustworthy.

As his laughing died down she motioned him to the seat across from her. She trusted him but there were always others listening. So she said “My name is Silmarien.” With only the slightest hesitation. “How are you this evening?”