Ouroboros Spine in the moonlight

the teeth of the mountain seemed forbidding. sorcha did not think she had ever been so high. she shook her head mutely at kivaluk's question.
the man who joined them was great and scarlet. she stared at him, not hearing his kindness at first.
and then she blinked and tried to straighten. "t-thank you, sir. i'm sorcha — from brecheliant. at first," she added in a mumble. "i was traveling with someone but we were getting hungry, and then we got separated, and then uh, kivaluk found me. i know stratos. he was," and then her eyes filled with tired tears. "my sister knew him. she's gone."