as twilight found its place upon their sacred land, mireille broke the surface of darkening water and gasped aloud into the cold.
she had come back not long ago, some days, and refitted herself into the movement of quiet life upon the cliffs. chani too had returned, though the girl was yet to come back from her second foray.
girl no longer, to think of it; a young woman chani had become.
but where was miette? mireille knew she must return to the taiga before long.