"Exactly," Marcello replied. "People from the same place usually only have children with each other, so all the children look the same." He reached out to ruffle the boy's-- well, hat. "When they have children with people from outside places, that's when you get people who look different and unique. You never know which parts a baby is going to get."

"I'm not sure I like being unique" Maalech pouted. "I'd rather be like everybody else, that would be so much simpler." But things were different here, and he wasn't looking as glum as he had been before when he had been talking about it. Living here was doing wonders for feeling like he belonged somewhere.

"You can't be like everybody else, though," Marcello replied. "You can be like everyone else from your town, but then if you go to the next town, you look like an outsider. That's always the way it is." He shot the boy a smile. "And if you were born looking like everyone else, you might not have felt so strongly about having to prove yourself. And you wouldn't have your unique perspective."

Maalech looked a bit sullen at that thought, but he had to nod in agreement. "I guess. I didn't use to get anything for free. And here..." He looked around, a smile on his lips despite himself. "I feel so lazy here. I mean I do a lot of things, but everybody expects me to do so little compared to what I'm used to."

"Well, you're a child," Marcello said. "And people here value children. They don't have a lot of their own. Do you..." He gave the boy a questioning look. "Do you feel like you don't have enough to do? I can talk to Meg. We can give you some more responsibilities, or I can give you some more lessons. If you like."

"Oh I make my own projects" Maalech replied with a wide smile. That was one thing that had changed over the mouths, his cautious little smiles had grown wider and more bold. "I don't mind, there's so many things to figure out! But I would love to have more lessons once I've gotten better at tuathalli, it's a hard language. And I don't want to bother Meg more than I do, she's awesome, but she has a family too."

Marcello grinned back. "I think you're going to outstrip me in it," he admitted. "I feel the same; I don't want to trouble Meg more than she has time for, but...well, I feel like I'm at the same level of progress as the baby."

"You're smarter. Or maybe you can sit still longer." Maalech hid a little grin behind the shawl. He liked Acorn, but was a bit in awe of the girl's rather destructive energies. But oh how pleased he looked at the mention that he might outstrip Marcello, it was not a race, but Maalech sure liked winning.

"There's many people here that doesn't read either, I don't think they travel very much. I would, because it's just so cold! And it's not even winter. Do you think we will go to Cnoch na Niall soon like Meg said?"

Marcello took a deep breath. "I don't know," he answered. "If the weather holds, maybe, but..." He was running out of excuses. "We'll go, soon, I'm sure. I'm just not sure when the Countess will be ready for us."

Maalech was quiet for a little, and then he finally asked the question that had been building over all the months, all the excuses. "Is she angry at you?" He sounded a little nervous, because he wasn't very good at handling feelings, but neither was he really able to ignore it any longer.