And when they're still a corner away from the dining hall, out of sight of anyone else, a woman dressed all in black appears suddenly. Carrying a sword. 

"- whoa, who is that?"

"Eek!" Shavri jumps back. "I have no idea!"

"I believe my sword is looking for you," the woman says, in a language that isn't Valdemaran. 

Your sword is looking for me? What do you mean?

"Perhaps it is easiest to explain by sharing my own story," the woman says. "I am Embra shena Liha'irden, Swordsworn to the Goddess, of the Shin'a'in people. Not long ago, in the kingdom of Ruvan, I met a woman from the far south. She said that she would buy me a drink, and she told a strange tale, of a battlefield many years before. She fought under a mercenary captain, a brave and skilled fighter, and when the battle was won, the captain took her aside and offered a gift. A gift that had, itself, chosen her; a blade that allowed her to fight with greater talent and courage than she could bring to bear alone. And so she passed her on to me. Here, look." 

She holds out the hilt for Bella to see. There's writing on it. It's not in any script she can read – until, for a moment, it seems to shift, the marks aren't actually moving but somehow they seem to change into the Pax alphabet. 

Woman's Need calls me, as Woman's Need made me, her Need I must answer, as my maker bade me.

Something tries to tug at Bella's mind. 

"Yeep!" Bella clamps down on her shields as hard as she can, even though for most grades of threat they work perfectly with only passive input.

The letters are illegible once more. 

The woman looks startled. "What is the matter?" 

It poked my mind, I don't expect things to do that most of the time.

"Well, of course. She has found her next bearer – she wishes to choose you." 

I do not want a sword that tries to pry open my shields. I don't actually want a sword at all.

"Yes, well, it seems she has made up her mind that she wants you. She is very stubborn on this matter." 

I, uh, don't care? Still don't want a sword.

"She is not actually going to allow me to leave until I have handed her to her new bearer," Embra says, sounding a bit frustrated. 

That makes me want her so much less! Do... you need help with that?

"...What? What kind of help?" The woman just seems politely baffled. 

With your compulsive sword forcing you to do things? I don't know if I can fix it but I'd try if you wanted.

Embra looks startled. Her brow furrows. "...I do not mind carrying her," she says finally. "She - helps, in many ways. If you do not want to take her, then I suppose I might keep her, if I can persuade her into such a plan."

Thoughtful frown. "And, while I do not mind carrying her, sometimes it is inconvenient that she can seize control. I would like if that were more of a negotiation." 

Okay! Uh, I was on my way to dinner and this might take a while, can I meet you here and show you to my office in fifteen minutes?

"Yes, of course." The woman looks uncertain, licks her lips. "I am very hungry, if I might ask for food...?" 

She dragged you here without letting you stop to eat? Yikes! "Shavri -"

"What - oh, if you want me to get her food I can do that. Or it's probably fine if she just comes to the dining hall with us." 

Yeah, come on. Bella motions her to join them.

She does, still looking kind of bemused, but calm about it – like this is up there on the list but not actually the weirdest thing ever to happen to her. 

Dinner for everybody. So why do you have a compulsive sword? What's her deal?