Redsand Canyon i will always think about you,

the memory of m'waki rose like fire and then faded, darkening to smoky embers in the old halls of qiao's mind. she continued her work of arranging cells. aquene's upbringing was so very different. qiao tried to visualize what it was like to be a child woken from slumber to be quizzed; to be young again, with gleaming parents proud and brave.

ah, another world. certainly not her own. and now you come to mereo. she pointed out thoughtfully. there was no need to probe for further details -- qiao sensed in aquene a shutting door that would not budge by traditional means. no matter; often, the events leading up to fate were irrelevant -- it was the path of the road cut through which mattered. and strangely enough, qiao found herself walking aquene's road. for a time.

she was silent again, working the earth as if it were a familiar friend. moments passed. the cells grew in numbers until qiao reached the end of her work. what else?