Oswin glanced away from her sister and toward the oasis lying before them and the sandy dunes beyond. She thought of the landscape which had greeted her as she walked from the shoreline until she’d met up with Nova and wondered how much more beautiful it would look under the night sky. Without great mountains or thick forests to swallow the sight of the stars above, Oswin could only imagine it must look stunning. “Winter.” She said in agreement, giving a decisive nod of her head as she looked back at Nova. “I’ll make sure to come see you in winter. It’ll be weird to see a place that doesn’t get snow in the winter.”

Oswin grinned as her sister nibbled at the thick strands of her mane, tugging her head playfully away shortly after. She considered reaching in to tug at Nova’s darker hair, as Oswin was always the sort to encourage any form of playfulness that occurred, but Nova’s words stopped her. She nodded her head (still absolutely oblivious to what pain her sister was feeling and how it might have changed her mind regarding the brother she didn’t know) and offered a gentler smile. “I will.”

She sighed and looked toward the sky, thinking how badly she didn’t want to leave Nova but knowing how much she hated to swim the channels between the islands in the dark, especially not if she had to walk beneath the high sun in order to get there and therefore exhaust herself just a little more. Her blue eyes looked back to Nova. “I guess I should get going before it gets too late.” She reached out and gently nudged Nova with her muzzle. “I’ll come back and see you real soon, yeah? And remember what I said about Koray – I meant it.” Her grin turned cheeky as she gave a playful wink.