Hoshor Plains We picked up the shards and formed them into shapes of stars

The tenderness she felt for Sumac had taken her by surprise. She'd been alone on that mountain aside from her blood family and Aditya, for the most part, but she had never wanted for love. They'd had all that they needed together. So it was strange to feel now as though something had been missing from her life — and it was strange how oddly painful she found the idea of never meeting Sumac. Strange, but the best kind.

She was glad if her words brought some comfort, and gladder still when he seemed to rally, even though she was sure his hurts must still be present.

"I'm sorry I worried you" she replied, feeling just a little guilty over how long she'd been gone. "I was waylaid speaking with a few young women. And I left in the first place because, well — " She flashed a tired smile. "My season came early this year. I did not think it would come at all, to be truthful. But spring called me and I answered — we will have to wait and see what comes of that."

She stretched and laid down on her belly to look up at the stars. She had learned from her elder sister, Dawn, how to use them for navigation, but they had never been of much cultural significance to her. She wondered if it was different for Sumac, if he heard his family when he looked up at their light.

"Will you sing me the lullaby?" she asked him. "The one your mother sings."