Kaelen found Aresa and Iftaya sitting beneath the shade of the old watchtower, sharing a pot of tea while the workers carried stone across the quarry. For the first time in days, neither of them looked as though the world was ending.
Aresa glanced up as he approached.
"You call people odd names you know."
Kaelen blinked. "what do you mean."
"Odd." Iftaya smiled into her cup. "You've been giving everyone... strange names."
He frowned. "What do you mean strange?"
"The guard."
"Markus?"
The two women exchanged a look.
"You mean Markhar," Aresa said.
Kaelen stared.
"...I'm sorry, what?"
"Markhar."
He looked from one to the other.
"What is the diffrence."
"The tone."
"I thought that was his name."
"It isn't."
Kaelen rubbed his forehead.
"I... don't know where that came from."
Aresa folded her arms.
"The twins aren't Aperi and Ariani either."
Kaelen slowly lowered his hand.
"...Don't tell me."
