Moonspear Beneshrab sagayer

In that beat between words, Towhee studied Killdeer’s daughter. She reminded her of Rodyn, dispirited and carrying the heavy weight of grief. Towhee wanted to move closer, take the yearling in her arms, but Pie beat her to it. She pushed past the man whose name Towhee couldn’t remember, demanding to know what news she meant.

It had never once occurred to her that Treepie might not even know. How was that possible? But as she stared down into that face full of anxious dismay, Towhee realized she was going to have to be the bearer of very bad news for the nth time in her life.

I’m so sorry, Pie, I thought you knew, she said, face crumpling. Reaching out a foreleg, she settled it on the young woman’s shoulder as she said, I just came from Moonglow. It’s your grandparents, Kukutux and Aiolos. They’ve passed away.