Footprints

xxxiii. finche

Four suns passed. They had erected a small shelter but done little else. What now? And how to deal with the persisting, all-consuming grief of Snow's passing? Chloe coped with more thinking. It was vocalised to the now-very quiet Ichimi, who lay up head-up-against her friend's shoulder, watching the ever-thickening snowfall.

"So... I was thinking. If Snow's home is in the woods, where's our home? I thought it was the tree. But that can't be right. We've left the tree behind. I think that means we have no home, right?"

Ichimi, very quietly, "Nah.."

"Oh?"

"Mm."

"But why?"

"..."

"Well, if we don't have a home, then do we search for a home? Do we really need a home?"

"Dunno.."

"What.. what is a home, really? Should we.. make one? Or..." Chloe had run out of things to say. That wasn't good. Her words were a distraction; she didn't want Ichimi to start crying again.

"You know, Chloe..."

"Yeah?"

"My home is wherever you are."

Chloe didn't know how to respond to that to that.

"So," Ichimi sat up, "let's not leave each other again... for a stupid reason."

Chloe thought she had never heard something so wise. "Ichi, should we keep going?"

"Something terrible might happen."

"True. Something amazing might happen, too."

"Well... nothing much is happening here."

"So, yes?"

"...Definitely."

"Okay... Let's go."