Moonspear You've got all the butterflies tied up inside

Tiuttuk swung their linked arms for a moment before letting go so they could walk together, Kinusi’s soulful song ringing pleasantly in her ears. Its notes made a longing rise up within the Ostrega. Perhaps she should return to her roots, resume her long-forgotten pursuit of the arts. Especially now that she had no ambitions on leadership—and none of its responsibilities—maybe it was time to indulge herself rather than worry about what was best for the village. That was Katmai’s and Kinusi’s burden to bear now, though of course she would always be there in the background.

When Kini’s song faded to a hum, Pie broke in to say, I thought of something I mentioned to Katmai that I should probably talk to you about as well. My greatest hope is to meet my own ugi and start a family. I want very much to be an anaa. I know that, traditionally, rank plays into such things. I don’t have any aspirations there, though I will do whatever you might ask of me in order to hold onto this dream. It means everything to me.

She halted to look her cousin in the eye. It was not a challenge in any way. Treepie simply wanted to convey how much this dream meant to her, so that Kinusi could advise her accordingly. Her blessing would mean the world to Pie.