Shir saw them together, once and only once, when they snuck out of the school at Iriad. Aminata tall and lanky and sailor-smooth, drawling stories to Baru from the side of her mouth. And Baru perched beside her on a stone on the harbor cliffs, dark-eyed, looking up intently at Aminata’s face, taking every word and biting it like a coin. When Baru laughed it was like flash through thundercloud.
