Emberwood you're a dime, plus ninety-nine

The woman responded, her words and tone implying that nothing was the matter, but the weariness in her bearing and the grit in her voice giving Easy quiet pause. She ignored it for now, answering politely and succinctly,

"Hunting, mostly. I've been bringing fish when there's nothing else to catch." They ought to come together and hunt, but she wasn't the one meant to be calling for such things. For now, she would continue to skate by with small offerings. "I went to the willows where the family was last together, but there's no sign of them. I'll need to go back to leave more markings, and perhaps to Easthollow to see if any of them have returned there."

The next place to check was Round Valley, but that was a much longer trip, and also where she knew Lavender to reside. Easy mused for a moment on how Bhediya was now a grandmother by that daughter in particular, and wondered what Lavender would think about the woman, and most especially about what she'd think of her meeting said grandchildren.

"What about you? I saw that you- left." Here, her voice faltered, and some heady emotion she had not known she'd held on to tried to find purchase in her heart. She blinked at her dam, bewildered, and carried on, "But I didn't know who to ask about that." It was too familiar, she decided. But Easy was no longer in a position to be left; she was out of communion with this woman, and beginning to realize — slowly, haltingly — that it might be difficult to bridge that gap.