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Smerdle glanced around the quiet park as she walked, still a bit shocked that Brownie had even asked to come here today. Usually it was Smerdle's idea and Brownie just tagged along long enough to start trouble.

The toddler wasn't starting trouble today, at least not with anything sentient. She stomped along, a few feet ahead of her aunt, pulling grass out of the ground in clumps and muttering angrily to herself. When she finally thought to pay attention to her surroundings, a young man caught her eye. Brownie knew he was just the person she wanted to see, even though they had never met.

Before Smerdle had even noticed she was on the move, Brownie broke into a stumbling toddler-jog, coming to a stop a short distance from where Lonan sat.

Yeah, this guy was worth whatever scolding she was bound to get from Smerdle.

"Hi," she said in return.

"Brownie!" Smerdle said, catching up with the child. "I'm sorry if she's interrupting you."

Brownie took to the invitation immediately. She hurried forward, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "What'chu readin'?" she asked.

Smerdle hung back, watching the two interact. She had a faint suspicion that this young man was blind, but if that was the case, how could he read? She peeked at the cover of his book. It didn't look magical.

"Brownie," she answered. "Hooyou?" She knew it was impolite, but 'What's your name?' was still a little too much to say. Hoping to soften the question, she added, "Please?"

"We glass," she said, putting her hand to his chest. It was the answer to both questions, why she had approached him and why she had her knives. She didn't remember being a shard, but her father had told her what he had heard about the Center and kids like Asra. Maybe that was why he had left. She frowned for a second, not wanting to think about her father, but was smiling again just as quickly.

Lonan was just like her, as she had known he would be. Brownie gnashed her sharp little teeth with momentary delight.

For all the rumors she had been told, there was one thing that none of her guardians knew. But Brownie did. She didn't know about the necessity of the reflection or the alley where it had been made, far away from here, but she knew what she was inside.

Murder.

She couldn't bring herself to tell Lonan. It was bad enough how people treated her when she acted on impulse. If he knew about her foundation, the very act that informed all of her thoughts and hopes, he might never speak to her again. Even though they had just met, she didn't want that.

"Dunno," she said. It was a skillful lie... for a toddler.

"Lonan?" Smerdle interrupted. "I think I saw an ice cream cart near where Brownie and I came in. Can I get you anything?" It wasn't an everyday practice, leaving Brownie alone with strangers, but the kid had proven to be excellent in choosing her friends. They were certainly all nicer than she was.

Brownie squinted her eyes at Smerdle, remaining silent until her aunt had offered a brief wave and wandered off to get sustenance.

Blind? Like Smerdle, Brownie hadn't seen the inside of Lonan's book before he had put it aside, but unlike her aunt, the girl hadn't automatically assumed that there was some sort of 'magic reading' going on just because she hadn't seen any braille. Not being able to see would stink, but she hadn't held it against him at all. "No," she said.

Okay. She would tell him. What would it hurt? Lonan was right. It wasn't like she had ever killed anyone herself. She leaned in, getting her mouth as close to his ear as she could before whispering, "Murder." As soon as the word had left her, she leaned backwards suddenly, hands clasping over her open mouth.