Qeya River fear the others for eternity

Anselm followed her gaze, where Gideon’s dual tails bobbed and swayed. Such a fierce emotion enveloped his heart then; a rare tenderness that Anselm sensed was quickly swallowed by thorns. 

He would do anything to keep that emotion alive. 

Back to the woman; he sensed a change in her, like he’d doused her in icewater. Truthfully, Anselm was not the cleverest — but he remembered she’d given Sun Eater a name in a language that had all but died in Anselm’s lips. 

His ears flicked forward in surprise — first, to hear his natal tongue so cleanly uttered — and secondly, by the name that left her lips. 

His jaw parted in quiet shock. Could it be? No — he told himself, this world was very large and anyone could name their daughter Ilse. He tried to remember — had the Ilse of his childhood been so dark? Even now he could barely assemble the scattered memories into something that had visual shape. Breathless, he returned in their tongue the burning question: And your mother’s name?

For it could not be. Yet still, Anselm held onto a shrivel of hope.