Larksong Grotto Know not where I'm at, but know where I've been

Miyako's ears pricked curiously as the she-wolf announced her future intentions, especially the hesitation in her voice. "Wow," she intoned. "Hell of a risk to take on an acquaintance.

"Sorry to hear about your family," she added, with more than a little sympathy. "Family's a pain, sometimes, but you don't really know how much you miss them until they're gone."

She felt a pang as she said the words, swallowing thickly as memories came to mind. Jiro and Saburo playing tug-of-war on the beach with an old whalebone, giggling through their teeth, the former's bulk eventually catapulting the latter into a tangle of legs in the sand. Sweet Tsukiko telling Goro stories, the little one's eyes wide with wonder. Half those characters now dead. Gone.

Miyako squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, trying to drive away the pain. She opened them slowly and gave Durnehviir a gentle look. "I hope you're able to find what you're looking for."