Chapter 4 Summary

For two days, the two gently drift down the river, in the center where the current is strongest. Orien pedantically explains to Birle what he means by "taking a bath." Offended, Birle explains that the common people understand baths very well. Orien is curious about Birle's people, and amazed to learn she carries a small, sharp knife in her boot. Privately, Birle wonders if it was a crime involving a lady that led the Lord to flee his home. She has heard that Lords marry for land, or for a dowry, or to establish an alliance, rather than for love. She wonders if Orien might have left his family in order to escape such a loveless marriage. He assures her only that he has broken no law.

Birle confides that she has never known the name of her mother's father. Her grandmother was...