The Bedel

In which Udari speaks.

I wonder which kompani Alosha and Silain will choose, if it comes down to it. Silain, as Droi mentions, has her own ties to the people of Surebleak, but she might feel that her duty takes her back to the ship. Alosha doesn’t appear conflicted and doesn’t have any particular ties that we know about.

And if the headman and the luthia leave with the ship, who will be the head and the heart for the ones who remain?

Kezzi, who will probably choose to stay, is the luthia’s apprentice, but she is still only an apprentice. Droi has had some of the training too, but she’s Droi. On the other hand, the fact that Udari chooses to talk to her about the things weighing on his heart might suggest that he has considered her in that light.

And Droi might be right that Rys would never be chosen as headman unless there was literally nobody else — but that might only apply to the kompani as it is. In a remnant kompani, he might be the only person with any of the headman training. If he comes back.

Or perhaps it will be Udari. It seems that many of the kompani have had individual thoughts about their course, but Udari is the one who has sounded people out and made plans for them together.

…all of this assumes that splitting the kompani will even be possible. Given the emphasis there’s been on keeping the size of the kompani steady, it would not surprise me if it turns out the ship’s protocols insist on bringing out the kompani whole or not at all, so that the only way for some of the kompani to stay is for all to stay.