[She should have known that a question like this would have an answer like this when the last Shirley had seen of her village had been it burning. Yet she can't help but feel glad to hear that Shirley and her brother had both managed to escape. Even one is a miracle, let alone two.]

It's okay. You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. [As she said before, she understands.]

I have a sister myself. She went with some others to visit another village before it was attacked. [Thyra wasn't supposed to be there, as a few of the villagers went to trade, but she'd wanted to visit someone and so she was. Fenimore could have been, if she had snuck on with her.] They must have reached it before the Orerines came.

[It's a must have without any evidence behind it. Only hope. She rests her head against the connecting wall, a smile on her face despite everything.]

It's been a long time since I've talked with someone like this. The others from my village are all gone now, and I haven't heard anyone else for a while.