“Maybe she does,” Fiona said with a lump in her chest. She looked up at Lorana and tightened her grip on the other woman’s hand. “But if she does, we’ll help her grow it back, won’t we?”

“Yes!” Aryar said emphatically. She glanced up toward Lorana and added, “And if that’s not enough, you can have my heart, too!”

A sob escaped Lorana and Fiona pulled her down close to her, settled her in against her in the spot Aryar had vacated. Aryar needed no prompting to snuggle on Lorana’s other side.

“Talenth is big and soft,” Aryar assured her. “Her cough is all gone, you’ll have good dreams.”

“Good dreams?”

“Yes,” Aryar said. “You can sleep and grow your heart again.” Shyly she added, “If you get scared, I’ll be here for you.”

Fiona felt Lorana tighten her hand on hers in a brief spasm before the other woman said to Aryar, “Thank you. And if you get scared, I’ll be here for you.”

“You will?” Aryar asked, suddenly all awake and wide-eyed. Lorana reassured her with a smile and softly pulled the youngster back down beside her.

“I will,” Lorana promised as she leaned forward and kissed the crown of Aryar’s head. “But first you must sleep.”

Aryar let out a great, contented sigh, nestled her head into Lorana’s shoulder, and fell asleep.

Fiona kept Lorana’s hand loosely in hers even as she fell back to sleep, feeling warmer and more comfortable than she had since … since the last time Kindan had visited Fort Hold back when she was still little.

The sound of feet moving quietly and the rustle of fabric roused Fiona enough that she squinted one eye open. She smiled as she made out Kindan’s form in the darkness and heard him quietly settle next to Lorana with Aryar sleeping, snug, between them.

When Fiona woke again, it was morning. Sunlight filtered wanly into the Weyr and lit Talenth’s lair with a cold, drowsy light.

She woke because she was cold. Lorana was standing up beside her, saying softly to Taria as the other tried to quietly corral the children, “How can I help?”

“We’ll manage,” Taria assured her tersely. Fiona could sense that the youngster did not want her competence questioned.

“She’s not trying to correct you,” Fiona told her muzzily. “She’s trying to help you.”

“We’d be glad of it,” Xhinna spoke up as she herded a small group of children toward Fiona’s quarters. She gave Fiona an inquiring look to which Fiona replied, “Of course they can use the bath!” She smiled impishly at the youngsters arrayed before her. “We wouldn’t want stinky children wandering around today, would we?”

The youngsters giggled and agreed loudly before trundling off, their faces full of glee.