“No.” Moria raised her head, eyes meeting her sister’s. “It truly is mine. I found it in Father’s shop, with a . . .” Her voice clogged and she cleared it. “With a note. It was my Fire Festival gift. There was . . .” She tugged a small package from her pocket, and when she held it out, her fingers trembled. “This is for you.”

Ashyn stared down at the wrapped parcel.

“I’m sorry I didn’t give it to you earlier. With everything . . . I didn’t forget. I just . . . I wanted it to be a better time. But I don’t know if there will be a better time, not for a while, so you—you ought to have it.”

When Ashyn took the package, her own fingers quivered. Moria started to back up.

“I’ll give you some privacy—”

Ashyn reached out and caught Moria’s cloak. “No. Stay. Please.”

She untied the paper and folded it back, then folded it back again and again. She managed a small laugh. “I don’t think there’s a gift in here. It’s all paper.”

She kept going until, finally, she reached the middle and found a ring. A thin silver band studded with garnets. As she lifted it, she saw a note underneath. She picked it up and turned her back to the moon, letting the light spill over the page.

To my child whose heart shines as bright as these stones,

It was at a Fire Festival that I met your mother, and I later bought her this ring as a reminder. It’s time to let it shine again, a reminder of the love that brought me my two greatest treasures.

All my love, always,

Father

Ashyn put the ring on. It fit perfectly, and she swore the stones glittered in the moonlight.

“It’s beautiful,” Moria said.

Ashyn nodded. “It was . . .” The words caught in her throat and when she looked down at the note again, she couldn’t read it through the haze of tears.

She passed the note to Moria.

Her sister lifted her hands. “No, I shouldn’t. It’s a private message for you.”

“It’s for both of us,” she said, and pressed it into Moria’s hand.

She watched as her sister read it. Watched as her face crumpled, as her shoulders shook. Ashyn caught her and held her, and they fell against each other as the tears came.

When Ashyn and Moria returned to the campsite, Moria went straight to Daigo, who was again resting under Gavril’s care. Ashyn headed to the stream, to check on the horses and wash off some of the day’s dust. She was cleaning a spot of dried mud from Tova’s ear when Ronan appeared.

“Is Moria all right?” he asked. “She was happy when we were practicing and talking, but when you two headed out . . . she seemed upset.”

“She’s fine. We talked about our father. Finally.”