[ she resumes her seat next to him, idly watching the ice, and waiting. ]

I imagine it was standard for my caste, but...my caste was never terribly common. Or perhaps they only seemed that way, due to being isolated from the rest. At first I thought it may have been a way to protect us, as our role and rarity were rather crucial in our society's infrastructure, but your question raises an interesting point.

It may have been the reverse.