Sunset Valley Lights from the airfield, shining upon you.

Rye collected himself, pushing to all fours and drawing in some steadying breaths. Towhee watched him in silence, eyes moving to his lips when he spoke again. She paid attention and didn't interrupt, understanding that he needed to exorcise these demons by talking through them. She couldn't hear but that didn't mean she couldn't listen.

"I know that feeling," she told him, frowning in commiseration, "but I assume you'd feel that way, even if you'd spent all the time in the world with them. Don't you? There'll never be enough time. Hey, don't do that," she added when she saw tears beginning to well in Rye's eyes again, then slip down his face.

She bumped her shoulder against him again, then cast her eyes around the ground searchingly. It wasn't exactly the right time of year for it, though she spotted a brittle brown leaf a few yards away. Towhee fetched it and tried to pass it to Rye, saying, "Here's this in case you need to blow your nose..." It was more silly than anything, an effort to distract him with a joke.

"Life's a bitch," she repeated with a sigh, resuming her seat next to him, "but you've got me and my friendship, for whatever that's worth." Probably not much. But if there was one thing Towhee could offer that most wolves couldn't, it seemed, it was a refusal to leave or die. Nuh-uh, she wasn't going to do either one of those things anytime soon.