Aiden's brow creases just for a moment. Elin didn't radiate the same gregariousness as Ulrik did... But she was his sister, and he had vouched for her, and that was good enough for the country carpenter. The sceptical notion that had wiggled its way into his forebrain was seized by the elbows and frogmarched back out again, leaving him blissfully trusting once more.

"Well, they've proven to be apt apprentices at least with small craft. If they came to me tomorrow and said they wanted to apprentice more formally under me to become shipwrights or luthiers, I'd hire them without a second thought and get them on the tools immediately. There's a thing with apprentices where... well, there's a period when they just begin where they cost you more than they make, because you're giving up your time to supervise and instruct instead of fabricating. But at this point they're skilled enough that I'd trust them with simple work without supervision, and reasonably complex work while I'm at hand to check in. But they're so young, you see - I'd love to see them put these skills to use making a living, but right now, it's important they get a chance to fish off the boat they rebuilt. It's a chance to see the thing they dreamed about completed by their own hands, you know? That's something they can put in their pocket and carry around with them for the rest of their lives no matter what they put their hands to - the knowledge that they can, if they try."