Northstar Vale Pénthos

"yes you are."

she looked around at the place where leona would rest, at her husband working with all his focus and strength on building a respite for her grieving family.

her breath shook. she could not imagine others here, creating a place of healing and rest while one of their children lay beneath the earth.

tamar's throat tightened. "it is a great thing you have done, arsenio." quietly she began to sweep snow from the edges of the grave, lying down stones to mark the perimeter of the entire site which they would dedicate to leona and her family.

she spread brush over top of the rocks, creating a domed thatch of pine and oak and laurel branches beneath which they might sit.

all in quiet for a long while.

"we should ask how she should be remembered. in the oasis, we had a day of remembering. stories. a meal. time shared, to honor the one who was lost."