Aivar smiled lopsidedly, refraining from rolling his eyes, even in jest, as she stepped nearer to his side.

Well, your aana was probably right. He did not know what aana was. His ears were filled with words and phrases he didn't know, and of course, there was only one way to find out.

What does aana mean? He needed to know, even if asking so many questions made him feel like a pup again. Mother? Grandmother? He supposed it could mean father or grandfather, too, or... anything.

He watched the little fish, and slowly, he realized what exactly they were doing. How strange. How ingenious. We never kept pelts where I came from, Aivar said slowly. I don't even know how you peel them off, he smiled at her as he turned his head, teeth shining in the sunlight.