"Well... thankyou," he says. Though his big, expressive ears aren't fully perked again, the kiarr looks a little brighter for the praise, forcing back the impulse to stress again that his images are nothing more than light. The illusion has some personal significance as well - the bluff is where he would come some days to be apart from the clan, up with the resin scented pines and his thoughts for company. Orcelito's approval is enough to make him relax.

"I know what you mean," he adds, when Orcelito tells him about the stars. "We didn't come out at night very often, but sometimes, when it was warm enough, everything was clear. Not just the rings and the moons, the stars too."

He sits back, his work completed. "If someone leaves, do you think home's where they end up again?"