And now there was also this child. This small, quiet, uncertain girl carrying his blood, still too young to understand what that meant, still too young to know the shape of what she was to him, or what he might become to her, if the distance between them was given time enough to close.
Sera's hold on Takoda tightened slightly, not from fear, but from the deep, involuntary protectiveness of a woman who had already lost too much to risk losing anything more.
"If you are still upset," she said gently, offering the child an opening, "we can go back. You don't have to stay here. After all, we have seen them and they were fairing well."
Takoda was quiet for a long moment.
Then, slowly, her head moved against Sera's shoulder, a small, deliberate shake from side to side.
"I want to stay here for a while granny," she whispered. "In case Momma wakes up... what if she wants to see us and we've already gone? Won't she be sad?"
