This morning, he turned to the left, and strode out briskly, hands tucked into his pockets, the sense of Aelliana's presence so strong that it seemed he must certainly see her gamely keeping pace beside him, if he but turned his head a fraction.

He had long ago learnt that bitter lesson; and kept his eyes straight ahead.

"Aelliana," he said, his breath frosting the chill air.

Van'chela?

"I wonder if I might now prevail upon you to tell me why you felt it...necessary that we form an alliance with Kamele Waitley?"

It was an old question; and though he could-- and had-- guessed at her reasons, she had steadfastly refused to state them. He expected another refusal this morning; indeed, what matter did it make, now?

There was a long pause as he walked on, occasionally assaulted by a snowflake, before Aelliana spoke, surprisingly, and perhaps not quite as firmly as she might have wished.

Necessity.

Well, but that was only what any well-brought-up Liaden might say when confronted with a demand for an explanation she did not wish to give. He had his refusal, after all.

But-- no. It seemed that, this morning, Aelliana had something more to say on his topic.

You will... perhaps think me deficient in the order of my duty, she continued, slowly. After all, the ship is the care of the pilot and the co-pilot's care is the pilot. However, our order became reversed when we came into our present arrangement. Surely, you are the pilot of your own body, and the course lain in for Balance arose from your genuis.

That being so, I took up my care, and it came to my attention that my pilot...required...more stimulus than he was likely to gain in solitude, even a solitude leavened by students, and cats, and a voice only he could hear.

I therefore set out to provide my pilot with human contact. You may ask 'why Kamele?'-- but that you may answer for yourself, van'chela. I saw that she interested you; that she was a scholar, and out of the common way. She had a strong, trained mind and a resolute spirit-- both attributes required in a long-term companion. For it would not have done, you know, Daav, to have taken up with someone you could bully.