Nym’ellia begins to sob again as she balls the jeweled ear points in her fist and clutches them to her heart.

Overcome as a lightness blooms inside her, Olilly throws her arms around Nym’ellia and envelopes her in a hug that’s warmly returned. Then she sits back and smiles falteringly at Nym’ellia. “Go ahead, put them on,” she prods.

Nym’ellia hesitates, then fumbles with the ear-cuffs. Olilly reaches up to help her, feeling a bit breathless, knowing the moment is fraught with an importance that runs much deeper than most things.

Olilly reaches toward the side table and lifts a small handheld mirror. She holds it up to Nym’ellia, who stills, as if mesmerized by the point-eared girl staring back at her.

“You’re beautiful,” Olilly breathes and is rewarded by Nym’ellia’s lovely, trembling smile. “I’ll go down to the pier,” Olilly offers, returning her smile. “And I’ll bring back Xishlon necklaces for both of us.”

Nym’ellia nods, roughly wiping away her tears. “Olilly,” she says, heartfelt, as she runs her finger over one of the sparkling silver ear-cuffs. “I’m glad you’re my friend.”

“Forever,” Olilly vows, holding out her free hand.

Nym’ellia grasps it, their fingers interlacing. “Forever,” Nym’ellia vows in turn, matching Olilly’s wide, beaming smile.

Olilly closes the door to Nym’ellia’s room, and the beauty of the Xishlon night hits her anew, every shade of purple cascading over the Vo River’s surface in rippling designs.

Beautiful.

She pauses, leaning over the balcony, entranced as she kicks up her feet in a small dance, unable to suppress the happiness that’s sparking along the edges of her ever-present grief and trauma and fear. The echo of the Western Realm’s cruelty is so strong, it has the power to overtake everything else. To scar a person’s heart and never let go.

But not tonight.

She reaches up to touch her scarred ears and waits for the familiar misery to overtake her, but only a trace of it jabs in. And oddly, in this moment, Olilly feels more Urisk than she ever has before. Regardless of the lack of points on her ears. A wide smile overtakes her face as she finds herself suddenly exhilarated to be in this new place, so full of possibility.

“Olilly.”

The shy male voice rides out to her from the far end of the ship’s walkway.

Olilly straightens with the speed of a startled bird, her heart picking up into a swifter rhythm as she turns.