Moonspear Djupt du dreg anden inn, let tankar svinna.

Sialuk listened, and she found that in doing so, she pined for her own children. Her time had not yet come, and yet each day she hoped it would. Not that she would have wished for it to come when she had been away, but now that she was back... Moonspear had promised her sons and daughters upon this mountain, but perhaps it had not meant the ones to come from her own body. The ancestor spirits did not always speak with clarity.

She wondered also what wisdom her own mother might depart when it came to Sable and Towhee Jr. Sialuk knew that there was much talk around Kausuit when she was born strange apart from her sister. It was as though the spirits had taken the health and vitality from the former and given it to Samani. Sialuk found herself not wishing to know what had taken the voices and ears of Towhee's children—or even Towhee herself!

Reminding herself once more to look at Towhee as they walked and spoke, she found another question on her tongue. This ptero, who taught it to you? she asked. It is a good thing to have a language for those who do not have their voice or ears. Sialuk wondered if any of her own children would be missing such a feature, just as she missed one of her toes.