One evening at camp, Furrow taps his spear a couple times by his feet in thought. Lina has been doing it again. He's been away from this culture for awhile now, but this part has never sat well with him. And seeing it in Lina, who is so kind and good... Courage built up, he leans over towards Lina.

In Herdazian he says, "I have a question for you, Lina."

He is smiling and continues in whatever language we all have been using, "I am curious. What do you guess I am? A lighteyes or a darkeyes."

He has never taken his blindfold off around the group. Never shown them. To his knowledge at least.

Will she guess darkeyes? Darkeyes use spears afterall, while lighteyes are trained in sword and such in Vorin culture. Perhaps.

In Herdazian Lina replies, "You, cousin? Right now, you're a no eyes. Without eyes you're able to live outside of judgment, prejudice, or expectations that come with having eyes on this storming world. Did you used to have eyes? Do you still? Wearing that blindfold, I guess it doesn't matter. But I am very curious."

So that's her view. Seems these things are coming from experience. It hurts Furrow's heart that Lina surely had to face these things.

Keep going.

He drops his smile to a more thoughtful expression. His breath paired to it as a soft, low hum.

Noting that she spoke strictly in Herdazian, he follows her lead.

"Hmmm. So that's all it takes? A darkeyed rancher could lose the "judgements" she has been living with. A brightlord could lose his "expectations". All by a blindfold."

Lina looks at the ground and starts moving dirt around with her foot, continuing in her native tongue.

"I don't know. Sometimes I dream we suddenly all have bright eyes, and the cage that holds all the darkeyes back disappears. Then we ALL have a chance. A chance to live better, to be better. Instead of digging through the mud for cremling crumbs.

"I don't know why I'm saying all this out loud. For some reason I feel comfortable around you, Furrow."

She finishes her dirt drawing, leaving behind the curves seen on her cheek tattoo. She lets out a short, subtle laugh lifting the golden curves as she smiles.

"Maybe it's because you're a no eyes."

A small snort escapes Furrow. The thought that his blindness, his torment makes someone he cares about feel more comfortable... it feels like a knife twisting in his gut. Rationally he understands why. Where she is coming from. Where he is. But the feelings still try to claw back over him. To grab him and hold him down once more.

"Well, I am glad you are comfortable around me. Bittersweet as the reasoning may be. Do not think too fondly of life as a no eyes. It can be awfully lonely."

"But tell me. What would you be, then? If this dream came true. If you had the chance to live better and be better. Who is that Lina that you see?"

"I'd... I'd..." Lina sighs, shaking her head. "I think I'd start with, it's not ok for people to starve simply because they're darkeyed."

After a pause she mumbles, "You probably think I'm airsick or something."

Furrow cocks an eyebrow. For not wanting people to be starved?"

"No, of course you don't want people starving."

Frustrated with herself for being so vulnerable, she blurts out, "All of it. For all of it. I'm not even sure what nahn I am. What a dumb dream."

Furrow lets a long breath out his nose. Then, with a deep breath he sighs dramatically and turns his head up to the sky. "I never thought it would happen to me. Now IM the airsick one. This dream, I like it! But if its dumb?? This does not bode well for Furrow."

He turns back towards Lina with a lopsided grin. "It is a good dream, Lina. One of hope. One of something better. One against the suffering."

He turns his head downward. His hair curtaining his blindfold but his grin still visible. "Your nahn, it is important to you?"

Deflated she replies, "No, but it's important to everyone else."

She looks away. "Thank you for liking my dream. It means a lot to me."

Furrow smiles soflty and reaches out finding her arm. He rubs it and pats her shoulder blade. Shes so small.

"Always, cousin."

"Correct me if I am wrong, you are herdazian too, yes? One who travels by the looks of things too, like me. You will find the world is large if you look in the right places. Some places, they be very much like your dream. Some people, they are those places."

His hand returns to his spear. "Eyes or no eyes, we are all in this song, right? I wish I could see you. I dream of that, you know? And if I did, i would see you, Lina. I would see you. As I do now."

A promise.

"...maybe it is not the eyes that need changing. For your dream to walk this world."

He taps his spear to the ground, his grin reassuring. "Keep looking, cousin. See beyond the cage. Past what the others wish you to see. And if your answers change, I wish to hear them."

Furrow leaves behind Lina's inquireys about him from earlier in the conversation. Holding onto hope that he helped her find some footing on her own questions of self, he lets the night move on from here. Together, the party strikes up other conversations late into the night with eachother and their new companions. A very good night.