Moonspear by a route obscure and lonely

To Alya, these names were beautiful and exotic. She looked admiringly at Cypress's sharp, angular face, lips parted in awe as she listened to his explanation of cousins. "And what's a brother?" she asked, the word feeling strange and clumsy on her tongue. Of course, she'd heard it before. She knew that her dad and Uncle Floki were brothers, but what did that even mean? (Sisters, she knew. Sisters were all she'd ever known.)

But she soon forgot her question; Cypress was so close to her, so big and so warm. She didn't understand the flutter of her heart, but apparently, it was something Cypress thought he ought to apologize for. Alya tucked in her chin, embarrassed without explanation, and soldiered through the strange feelings welling up in her chest.

"How come you don't wanna see 'em?" she asked, wondering why anyone would ever not want to see their family.