The sisters had been separated from the children for only a short while, deep in conversation about what their next move should be. It was typical that Namid voice opposition to all others; she was eldest and she was oft the leader, but it was with a surprising twist that Eyota had begun to express herself and exert some form of control.

A vote was taken. After some terse words among them all, Sitala separated and began her hunt for her daughters while Eyota scoured the wilds for her own charge. As luck would have it, it was Sitala who came upon Tokala first. 

The glen was a sprawling and verdant thing. Layers of snow still coated much of the ground and many boughs, but the growth was dense enough to create some shelter. Sitala swept beneath them with an easy lope, slowing when she found dirt and shadow, and spied the figure of Tokala. That was one daughter found - where were the others?

It was not uncommon for the young girl Tokala to be on her own. In watching her, she could see the awkwardness of youth and wondered in the back of her mind if the fates had blessed the sisterhood or cursed it; not because she lacked love for their tiny family unit but, because she could not see any man being tempted by the lonely child. Alas, they had time to reforge her. To build something of Tokala that would make their culture persist. It would take time. Sitala was thankful, however, that their efforts were concentrated upon her first-born for the time being. It would be less work.

Tokala, she greeted with a tone as smooth as ice, and a flicker of a smile creased her features. There was no warmth in her bright eyes to suggest she felt any emotion, but that was the way of things. Of course. She is your mother—have you not spoken to her yourself? It was likely that even this girl could not approach Eyota if their eldest sibling was around; Namid was not exactly close with any of the girls—she would sooner drive them off a cliff.

She was not about to share too many details with the girl without consulting the other women, but for the time being Sitala felt comfortable enough to say a few things. She shrugged her broad shoulders at first and was thoughtful, considering all that had transpired since their arrival to this new valley.

There are others here—not our kind, but those we can use for our benefit. Soon, I think, we should find a match for Sanuye. If all went well then they could at least be wed by spring, but the window of opportunity (for any springtime births at least) was hastily closing. The woman drifted in her thoughts, recalling the ink-blot man and then, the red-furred Engel. 

No, neither seemed appropriate. She did not decide to mention them. Rather, she focused on what Tokala was speaking of and gave a small dip of her chin, looking a little bit like a swan with her head slightly bowed. I wonder if maybe we are too late, though. It is possible that the season has escaped us and we may need to wait until the next winter. Her gaze flashed then, finally, with what looked to be irritation or something vaguely darker, and she looked pointedly at Tokala.

Do not let Eyota know I said that—she is quite determined. And you know how Namid gets. We will find someone. Sitala knew she could handle her eldest sister's wrath, but it was the children she thought of primarily. Namid was a wild thing, a hurricane of a woman, and the girls had not yet seen the worst of it.

It was easy enough to earn the trust of each girl because of the way Namid treated them. Sometimes Sitala wondered if it was done on purpose, to force a relationship between each of them. To make them stay close despite the struggles that Namid presented. The elder woman was the catalyst and somehow, despite being ill-equipped socially, Sitala had become a protective figure for each of them—a lighthouse to guide them safely through a choppy sea, so to speak.

It piqued her interest when Tokala mentioned men, although she was instantly skeptical of the girl's prowess. Was she sure she did not mean boys? It bothered her that Tokala was hunting for men at all as she was still a girl, but with the closing of the season there was no point in disputing it—so she said nothing in regard to Tokala's flirtations. Rather, she honed-in on the facts.

It is unwise for you to put yourself at risk, Tokala. Tell me what you know of them—where you found them, their health, their age—perhaps I will seek them out. There was something harsh about Sitala now; she watched the girl sharply and lost some sense of familiarity as the conversation evolved; no doubt she was scheming, eager to find a solution to their shared problem.