Heron Lake Plateau journey through stellar life

"You see anything in them?" Niamh said, and Phox turned to look at her. The stars weren't something that many had interest in, although Phox knew they had both practical and not-so-tangible uses. They could be used for navigation, as he had taught Bat, but there were also countless stories up there that most didn't bother to learn and few wanted to hear about. They were an abstract concept, too, and he understood that wasn't for everybody. He never went out of his way to point them out unless somebody asked (or he was reminded of one in particular, as was often the case with Towhee and Gemini).

All the time, he replied. Are you looking for something? If she sought meaning to recent events, he could assure her no help would be found up there. As much as he looked at the stars when he was in distress, they never gave him straight answers. If they had any, they kept their secrets well-hidden. Instead, it was more of a meditative practice to look at them, reciting their names and remembering their stories. Without that practice, Phox worried he might lose some information along the way, which he undoubtedly already had done.