"You're from the north?" One could almost, almost imagine she sounded excited at the prospect. But it was a hard sell, because for the most part she gave off the same kind of plodding, monotonous air that Eska herself did.

"You're right, then. Their homes are warm places. Like this one."

She motioned forward and the spider perched itself on her shoulders, looking over her head, and waved. Clearly an unusually intelligent arthropod.

"That is all it has in common with those, though. It is an excellent pet."