She laughed when he turned her words around against her. It was not the same and Hild would have argued it if she did not understand his meaning and if it were not advice she would take. Spencer had strong feelings for Luke and vice versa; they knew each other well, even if this obvious fact was lost on both of them. They knew what to expect from each other, could forgive each other's flaws and missteps. They walked an unfamiliar path, but side by side, though they did not know yet that the other was there to reach out and touch. Hild was almost entirely in the dark.

However, she knew how to dispel that darkness and had no fear of it. It might slow her, but it would never stop her full out. She could ask, try, be bold if she truly felt the desire. For now, she did not. She wished often for another warm body to share her bed. Loneliness loved to catch her at night in this way. But that was fear of being alone, and she refused to let fear control her.

"Mm, yes," she said, her smile slight and amused. The city's preoccupation with arbitrary age had not escaped her. "If I find someone who believes I am too young, I will just have to convince them otherwise," Hild decided. "I am known by some to be very persuasive."