Zayn was a friend of Adric on Alzarius.
Zayn was more interested in games than Adric was, but he often needed Adric's help with the games. Zayn didn't understand why Adric was so interested in dogs, but went with him to the Starliner to do some research.
When Adric was in trouble for visiting an outer settlement, Zayn loyally pretended he didn't know where Adric was. (PROSE: A Boy's Tale)