Lenore: .... so are you very bored? I'm sorry I made you have to stay in bed again.Marius: It's better having games, and someone to play with. Thorne is a very decent fellow, but all he wants is to hear all of my stories, and about my tribe, and who begat who, and... well, it isn't very exciting. So thank you. It's nice to have someone to talk to.
Lenore: It's nice for me too. I only have Mina to play with, well and Spot and Dinah of course. But none of them are very good at checkers.
Marius: Mina?Lenore: My doll, Mina. I'll bring her tomorrow, to meet you! Um... May I come play with you tomorrow?
Marius: You may come and play games with me anytime at all, Lenore. It is always pleasant to find oneself in the company of such a lovely young lady.
Lenore: (blush) Ahem... um... are you sick of checkers? We could play Othello instead, but I feel I must warn you, I beat Ama every time we play. She says I'm quite good at it.
Marius: (smile) Okay. I'll take my chances, then.
Nessa: I don't like it, I don't like it one bit.Thorne: He isn't going to hurt Lenore, Nessa. He isn't going to hurt anyone.
Syrinx: Now that I've been in it, I can tell you his is not the mind of a killer. Honestly. He's just scared and wounded, and I don't blame him. His people turned completely against him, including a woman who claimed she loved him.
Nessa: Yes, yes, yes. All very sad. But nothing compared to what his people will do to us if they find him here.
Nessa: So when is he leaving?Thorne: (sigh) He is stronger, but I think it'll be a couple more weeks before he's really ready to travel. Especially given that bump he just received for scaring Lenore.
Lenore: You're really good at this!Marius: To tell the truth, I've played before. My father taught me... but it was called something else back then.
Lenore: What does your name mean?
Marius: (blinking) Wha, um... I'm named after my great, great grandfather. Why?
Lenore: It doesn't suit you.Marius: (laughing) Well then!
Lenore: I mean no offense, it just isn't the name I think of for you.
Marius: And what name DO you think of for me, hmm?
Lenore: It doesn't matter. It's MY secret name for you. You won't care.
Marius: No, I do care. It could be a secret name, just between the two of us. You'll be the only person in the world who calls me that name.
Lenore: Really?Marius: Really. I won't tell anyone. Promise. Our secret.
Lenore: Okay. Well, I found you in the stones... and... well earlier, there was this hawk in our tree that I was going to throw rocks at, but then didn't throw rocks at and you're kind of like him. So with all of that, I think of you as StoneHawk. But, in my head, I just call you Hawk.
Marius: I think Hawk is a very nice name, but I won't tell anyone else. It's just YOUR secret name for me. Okay?
Lenore: (smiling) Okay.
Ariel: (quietly, to self) Well there you are my little Carin warrior. We'll talk after the child is gone, dumplin'. I have a little favor to ask you...