Emberwood Every time you smile, I smile.

The idea of breadcrumbs was a curious one, and actually brought a stronger smile to Ibis' face, a little giggle at the idea. Leaving clues sounded like fun (whether the effort was successful or not) and yet, Ibis thought of what Bhediya often told her: that they weren't far from the marsh, so there was no real reason to worry. If he ever did come back to the valley then Okeanos wouldn't have to go far. What sort of clues could she possibly leave for him beyond the scent of their claim? The marsh was the last space they'd shared and so Ibis trusted that would be the first stop that Okeanos would make on his way home to them, and with enough attention to the borders and with the right people scouting the surrounding territories for food and other supplies, they'd no doubt come across the bear of a boy.

That's an idea I hadn't considered before, Ibis commented as her light laughter faded. But I'm not sure we could spare anything of value—besides that, all I can think of to leave for him would be flowers, and they're all dead now. When our first major snowfall happens they'll be buried and the world will become a blank slate. Thus making any effort useless, but she did appreciate the suggestion. It was out-of-the-box thinking.

I'm sure when he comes to find me at the marsh he'll find his way here. We aren't far away. She was hopeful of that, at least. There was an undercurrent of worry Ibis could never shake though, a small sense of doubt that Okeanos had indeed been hurt or perhaps died during the quakes—but she refused to feed that tiny monster for long.