another dawn

Dai didn't offer much in response to her but a nod and a nudge were enough.  They said he not only agreed with her words, but shared her feelings and her worries.  Where was their aunt leading them?  How long had she been gone that the supposed masses that had resided here were completely gone?  The emptiness of the lands made her seem more suspect than she had before... But, as though she was reading her niece's mind, the woman gave reason to her actions just as Phim began to question them.

"Oh..."  There was nothing thrilling about learning they had farther to go.  At least they would rest a while here.  After journeying for so long, it would be unreasonable to just keep walking.  Phim just hoped that they weren't getting their hopes up only to stumble upon empty lands again.  She could imagine few things more dismaying than that as long as she continued to block certain dark memories from her mind.

With a sigh, Phim padded softly to a stone relic opposite Narfi and lowered herself down on the cool ground, resting her head on her paws and looking to her brother to see what he would do.
""