The Healer's Rune from Aodhan's Perspective

At first, I couldn't stand her. She's Human, after all. That, alone, is enough to make her unworthy of notice. If it hadn't been for that night at the portal, I never would have disturbed her insignificant, self-absorbed life.

    But... the portal. She could have let me die. I would have. Torian knows, I'd have slit her throat instantly and put her out of her misery.

    *sigh* Okay, maybe I wouldn't have. I've been watching her, as I've gone back and forth, keeping tabs on her to make sure she was unaware of our presence. I have to admit - she has spunk. The way she stood up to that Rüddan officer... I wish I could have seen it, rather than just hear the Dryht reporting what his bird saw.

    Not only that, but she saved me. She could have killed me at any moment, but she let me live and nursed me back to health. She even delivered my warning to my sister without revealing our presence to the Rüddan, which she could have done at any time without hinting at the fact that she was hiding me in her own home.

    So I rescued her from the Rüddan for two reasons: because I owe her a life-debt, yes, but also because I need a Human to use the godstone. Since she didn't kill or betray me when she had the chance, she's my best option.

    What about the Wereden? Actually, she was right about that. Just because her father was Wereden, and the bond does pass to her, that doesn't automatically mean she's obligated. She has to accept it, first. I only used that to push her - to motivate her to do something instead of just sitting by, complacent.

    Now that she's with us, I find her - intriguing. She has a presence about her that commends her to my people. It was all I could do not to laugh when she put Amala in her place that first morning at breakfast. She certainly has spunk. And she doesn't whine and moan as much as I would expect of a Human. it's obvious to see she's not used to riding a horse all day, yet she keeps getting back in the saddle without complaint. I'm willing to be there's fire in her. Even if she never tells me what happened to her while she was in the Tower of Khapor, the fact that she came out of it alive speaks of her strength of spirit.

    So, she's with us to use the labyrinth map, and maybe she'll find a place among us. We'll see how well she fits and what we can do to maximize her usefulness.