"I know, I understand." Millie was starting to feel a little awkward herself, thanks to her brother.

"Will Lek be all right?" Pinja asked.

"He will be."

"I couldn't think of a gentler way to turn him down." Pinja said.

"He should have been prepared for it, I told him it was not a good idea."

"He's so... sensitive." Pinja said.

"It's time for him to grow," Millie replied. Life wasn't always going to offer what he wants.

"He is too young to get married." Pinja said.

Millie shrugged. "I don't know anything about that."

"He acts younger than younger than he really is..." Pinja said.

"Yes, he does."

"If I didn't know you were twins I would have thought Lek was years younger than you." Pinja said.

"Papa wasn't a fighter and then he was gone so long..."

"I can't picture Lek ever fighting anyone." Pinja said. "He's too gentle."

"He did have to fight once, to protect our cousin Ertzel. He's still carrying guilt over it."

"Why would Lek feel guilty for that?" Pinja asked.

"Because when he fought him, he accidentally killed him," Millie replied, looking down. The family didn't speak often of the incident.

"He killed someone?" Pinja could not believe it.

"Accidentally. He and Ertzel had been kidnapped by miners, and I don't know all the specifics but one of the men made a menacing move toward Ertzel. Lek hit him with something, meaning to knock him out but the blow killed him."

"Lek isn't a killer." Pinja said. "He must have been very desperate."

"He just wanted to protect our cousin."

Pinja still had a hard time picturing Lek having killed anyone. "He's too good to want to really hurt anyone."

"That's true. He insists he only meant to knock the man out so he could get Ertzel away from him."

"I can't even picture him doing that." Pinja admitted.

Millie shrugged. "I think people can do something they wouldn't normally do when they're facing danger."