Pete looked on without changing his facial expression as Kala cut into herself, cursed him and licked her own blood. He did not stop smiling when she spat before him, although he raised one eyebrow and then looked away, up at the night sky again. Slowly his smile faded and he walked behind Kala once more, looking up at the distant lights.<br/><br/>He was silent for a while, letting her final comment slide, though he did register an opportunity to remind her that she and her employer did, in fact, owe him a horse. He trudged through the snow, and without looking down he spoke to her, shivering slightly from the unaccustomed cold.<br/>â€œI apologize, miss Kala, I never meant to infuriate you to the point of self-mutilation. You are right, from this point on there will be a decrease in snide remarks aimed at you, and I will address you as a sword maiden of skill should be addressed.â€<br/><br/>He relinquished the hold on his hilt and with a sigh increased his pace to walk side by side with her. He had been sincere when he said he wanted to teach her what he knew, and did not wish to seem the least bit like he was going to betray what little trust she had for him.<br/>â€œI have a confession,â€ he said, and betrayed the last trust. â€œI am terrible at Elvish. To the untrained ear it sounds melodic, but I could never get the song quite right, and if I was to teach you, an elf would mock you if you tried to talk to them, telling you it sounds as if you have a potato in your throat. I would excuse myself by saying it is a dead language with little practical use, but I feel functionality is not why you desire knowledge, but rather because it holds value in itself. I respect that position, and I will teach you something that I find even more beautiful than anything the Elven culture has given us. If you do not accept, you are free to tell me now or demand that I teach you what little Elvish I do know.â€<br/><br/>Pete took a deep breath and finally looked away from the stars and into Kalaâ€™s eyes. There was no smug superiority in him anymore, no arrogant smile, only a shy upward curve at the borders of his lips. The vastness of the black void above him was humbling, even to one who believed himself the greatest man to still live. There was something pleading in his eyes, something almost pained, like it would tear him apart if she left him now when he was about to share that which he most dearly loved, beyond swordplay and displays of grandeur.<br/>â€œI am from Goldsand,â€ he whispered. â€œIn Goldsand we love the night sky more than any other human city, and have devoted more time to its study than anywhere else in this world. I lived in the inner walls, though not of the noble castes.  My father was an astrologer, charting the stars and reading what wisdom they would tell, advising the king himself with what he divined. From as early as I have memory I was taught that everything we know is mapped in the stars above us, where our life will go, where we have been and who we are; even who we will be in the future.â€<br/><br/>Pete turned his head to make sure Vrael and Koralheim were not listening in, as this was a lesson for Kala alone. He then once more looked to the night sky again and pointed to a cluster of stars to her right, which Pete knew was to the south. Two stars were shining very bright almost next to each other in the upper part of the constellation and Pete traced the outline first, and then connected the inner stars with his finger. He then looked at Kala to see if she followed.<br/>â€œThat is the Zebidiah, sign of the spirit. I have picked it specifically for you, miss Kala, do you think you can find it again on your own? Recognize it should I not be here? In Goldsand we say, that the first constellation you learn is your own; each sign has its own qualities that are bestowed upon you. There is the sign under which you were born, that is the fixed attributes, but there is also the taught sign, which depends on how the parents wish for the child to grow up.â€<br/>He looked at her again and smiled, warmly this time, although he was shivering more than before.<br/>â€œThe sign of the spirit, I chose for you, because it is the sign best representing duality. It grants a long life, but also the freedom to lose it. It inspires a promise of finding secrets, but also the opportunity to lose or misuse them. The sign promises the opportunity to forge many friendships, but warns against forsaking old ones for newer and stronger alliances. But mostly, miss Kala, I chose this sign for you to learn as your first, because it more than any other promises that you will be remembered once you are no longer among us, that your spirit will linger on in the hearts of those you touched, and in the places you changed. When we first met, you spoke of glory and destiny. This sign, more than any other, gives you the opportunity to leave a legacy behind you, although, be warned, that is also the only sign that does not guarantee you a positive one. This sign is given only to children whom the parents believe to be righteous, and it is not widely taught for this very reason. I believe you know honor, and will die rather than besmirch yours, so when I teach you this sign, it is with the conviction that the greater destiny I have promised for you will be one we can all aspire to follow.â€<br/><br/>Peteâ€™s voice had grown hard as he spoke, or rather, as hard as it could, given the natural softness within him. He sighed again, dreamily once more, looking at Kala, hoping she was tracing the stars with her eyes. He was very cold now, and wanted to find shelter or at least a place to buy more blankets to wrap himself in.<br/><br/>â€œCan you see that sign over there,â€ he then said softly once more and moved his finger in a wild and uncontrolled manner, spanning three of the four corners of the night sky, going in a zig-zag pattern at some points and at others seemingly random.<br/>â€œThat is my sign. I got it when I was six years old. By then, perhaps, my father could have given me one already, since I was knowledgeable enough, but I think he wanted me to have your sign, miss Kala, only he had not yet decided if a greater, uncertain destiny was safe to give to me, or if I should settle for a lesser, but more surely positive one. He ended up givingâ€¦ no, it is not important which sign he chose, for by then I had already granted myself my very own sign, uncharted by any astronomer, and unknown to all but me, and perhaps to you, if you paid close attention just now. I decided back then, that no other sign would do, that they all had either flaws or were simply not grand enough. So I connected my own stars and called it the Conqueror Worm, and back then it bestowed upon me all my young heart could desire: wealth, power, a home in the inner-most wall, my very own sugar cane forest, greater magical power and a stable of dragons to ride.â€ Peteâ€™s smile grew wide again and radiated nostalgia and trace amounts of pride. â€œAs I grew older its meaning changed and grew more humble. I had already moved out of Goldsand then, and my sign became good luck in travels, good companions and the promise that I would survive whatever life threw at me by the strength and skill of my own blade. And today, after many changes to the meaning of the Worm, I believe the meaning is clear, reflecting perhaps what I always wanted it to say: that I make my own destiny. There is no set path for Pete Girly, no glory promised, no secrets handed to me by unseen hands. If I put a mark on this world, it will be all by myself. Whatever happens in this life, for me, I take comfort in the belief that I alone am responsible. That is why I reject whatever curse you spat at me before, on my ancestors, my name and my kin. I will not let bad luck or evil karma, curses or whatever you have, control me or be the cause of my fall. I make my own luck, and no one else shall influence it.â€<br/><br/>â€œBut I still think the sign of the spirit is a good choice for you, miss Kala.â€