Witch's Marsh with a mind so dark and skin so white

Ibis tried to remember what was west; she thought of Mal and almost cringed. To the north, well, she hadn't ventured too deeply in to the north in her travels. Maybe if she didn't reconnect with Okeanos she would choose to travel with this sweet woman? They could go anywhere. It would be a nice change. But.. She wasn't ready to give up yet.

I might not go anywhere at all. Bhediya included.

You can stay here! Ibis blurted immediately, unable to help herself. Afterwards her ears twisted apologetically atop her head and she averted her gaze for just a moment. If you want. There's plenty of space. If my brother ever shows his face he'd love to meet you too. The more she thought about the road the less she wanted to delve away from the safety of the marsh. At least here she felt comfortable, and in the end... Maybe it was worth it to stay here, to build rather than run.