Moonsong Glacier cirsium occidentale

He shuddered against the weight of his father. It had been so hard to watch Mother decline, and yet Waxwing was so happy he had been there for her. He knew the relationship between his parents was an odd one, at best.

She wanted you to know how thankful she was for giving her kids. She'd never had that before us. And she would have no more now, Waxwing realized. Finally, he pulled away, his chest still tight with sorrow.

The offer wasn't unexpected, but Waxwing knew he had other things to attend to first.

I'm going to go see how Mahler and his crew are doing, Waxwing said. I don't feel bad for leaving them, but I know I should go back and see if they still want me there. If they don't... I don't know. I might just wander for awhile.