Collei was so excited when she finished that super hard book that she ran to the Teapot, hoping to tell Lisa and Arlecchino. She ran into the mansion beaming. Upon entering, she spotted Rosaria sharing tea with Mona and Jeht.
"Seems you're in a good mood," said Rosaria.
Collei marched up proudly. "Sure am! I finally finished the novel Ms. Arlecchino gave me: Eye of the Dragon!"
The girls all clapped and congratulated her, making Collei even more proud. Being the center of attention was embarrassing, but it made her happy. Getting attention for hard work felt good.
"And how did you find the novel?" Mona asked.
"It was tough. I had to look up a lot of words. But I kind of liked it!"
Collei gushed on and on about all the words she learned. Mona and Rosaria listened with smiles, as she recounted the epic saga of the hero Siegfried and his dragon nemesis. She talked so much that she lost track of the time.
Mona excused herself, saying she had an article to write. Rosaria departed as well, not bothering with any explanation of where she'd go. Still riding off that high feeling, Collei skipped out the mansion, hoping to tell Tubby next.
Then she discovered Jeht on the stoop.
"Oh, hey, when did you get out here?" Collei asked.
Jeht scratched the back of her head. "Sorry. I kind of snuck out while you were talking. I didn't have anything to say."
Collei's confidence flagged. "Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to bore you."
"No, no, that's not it," said Jeht. "I didn't have anything to say because… well…"
She muttered something under her breath.
"Sorry, what did you say?" asked Collei.
"I…can't read."
"You can't?!"
"Shh," Jeht chided.
The junior forest ranger clapped her hands to her mouth. She apologized repeatedly. Collei sat down on the stoop beside Jeht.
"You really can't read?" she asked in a low tone.
"My dad taught me some. But after mom died, the lessons kind of stopped. I tried picking it back up, but…" The Eremite wrung out her fists ashamedly. "When I look at the letters, it's like the words are moving everywhere. I guess I'm just lazy."
"You're not lazy," said Collei. "You're one of Aaru Village's hardest workers!"
"Thanks," she said. "Anyway, mercs don't need to read a lot. It'd be nice to know."
"How about I teach you?" Collei offered without even thinking. Jeht turned to her.
"Teach me?"
"Yeah," she said. Collei couldn't explain what made her double down, but now she couldn't back out.
She showed Jeht the novel that Arlecchino gave her. Its cover showed a young knight, clad in silver armor, locked in battle against a blood-red dragon. The image captivated Jeht, as it had Collei, promising an adventure unlike any other.
"When I started," Collei said, "reading was so hard. I didn't think I'd ever read a book like this. But now, I can. If someone like me can do it, I bet you can too."
Jeht pursed her lip. The skepticism was all too apparent in her scowl. Still, the cover captured her eyes. Its call to adventure beckoned the Eremite into those pages. She wanted to explore the unknown, climb the highest peaks, and live like her dad always hoped she would.
Like Collei, she heeded the call.
"Okay," said Jeht. "I'll be in your care, Dr. Collei."
"I'll do my best!"
So, they started the first of many reading lessons. It would be difficult, but Collei proved highly dedicated to her pupil and Jeht was beyond dedicated. Then, one day, Collei would give Jeht that novel Eye of the Dragon. She would read the whole thing in a single afternoon.