Northstar Vale Steampunk dogfight.

You’re gonna have to repeat it about a thousand more times, Towhee agreed, the language so unfamiliar it barely read as one to her well-trained eyes, but I definitely think that suits.

She thought about mentioning The Roost on Heron Lake Plateau, another meaningful landmark. It was where Orca and X were both buried. Hadn’t she told Jack about it not so long ago? But she kept it to herself now, not because it was a secret or she didn’t think Maxim was interested. She just wanted to focus on his background at the moment.

Let’s do that now. Practice the name, she said, making a sweeping gesture even as she settled down in their new digs, and then tell me stories about your past. We haven’t talked about it enough. It’s not too late to change the kids’ names, is it? she quipped.

Speaking of them, they were due to turn up any minute now, back at the spring. Hopefully Maxim would hear them, especially if they called out. Towhee looked forward to their supper, though in the meantime, she settled in for whatever stories her mate wanted to share.