Her 'boy' was some four hundred years elder, but this was not a clarification currently worth making. Raine let that slide, instead smiled back. There was something about his smile, a shift in attitude perhaps, that made her glad for his approval, and that in itself was an odd thing. She moved on. "Thorough saves lives," she said, by way of explanation, and paid close attention once more.

She un-knotted her wool, pulling it between her fingers till she was satisfied it was smooth again, and repeated much the same process for this knot. She tested it with several tugs, was pleased when it performed as described. "Yes, I can see how that would be useful."