Honeyed Pasture I'll be home and I'll be free

The wind betrayed him, hiding her scent from him until her voice instead of her scent was the first to reach him. He hadn't been called Uncle in a long time, so the odd phrase paused his step. The second things to faze him was the use of his native tongue, it was a language most this far south had never even heard. He turned his head in questioning toward the young woman as she approached.

For a moment, Sadiq could have sworn it was Takiyok coming toward him. The resemblance was uncanny, so much so the Sadiq had to shake his head to convince himself he wasn't hallucinating from hunger. "Who?" He croaked, his voice hoarse from disuse. Clearing it he tried again, "You look just like — I — Uncle?" Sadiq voiced again still confused. Ever so slowly it dawned on him. The rambuntious little girl. His sister's only daughter. "Simmik?" Sadiq's eyes widened as he saw her again for the first time. It had been so long.