"Will you go home?" he wonders quietly.

It had not really previously occurred to her that this was a thing that it was possible to question.

"Well. I mean. I have to go home at some point, right? There's not really... anywhere else to go."

"There's a lot of places. There's... more places than I used to think existed. I think, if you wanted to go somewhere else, you probably could."

"...I dunno if any of the places are good. Or if I'd be able to, like, support myself in them, and stuff. Y'know? Home is - the place where people know you. The place where you know how to do stuff."

"Learning how to do stuff in new places has been surprisingly easy so far."

"Well, we've only been to the one place. And we can't stay with the Pullid for any length of time, they're not - there's a reason they don't have any young people here."

"Your place is a new place to me too," he says. "I think maybe it generalizes, the learning new places. —I'm not saying you should, or you have to, or anything, it's just—it surprises me, how easy it is. I guess I'm wondering... what I'll do with myself, once I find my friend. If I find him. Or if I don't. And maybe... maybe the answer is something other than 'go home'."

"Oh! Well. That would be cool. And I guess it makes sense, if you don't have, like, parents, or a family, or anything. I bet Kukul would let you stay. If you could take care of yourself, and learn to help with the animals, and stuff. Not that you have to stay with us, I'm sure - I'm sure there are other places somewhere."

(She is not going to say this but there are no unmarried men in the tribe right now and if he were there there would at least be one.)

"That might be nice," he says, with a hesitant smile.

"Okay! Well. I could talk to Kukul about it. If you wanted."

"Maybe." He sounds very uncertain, but also kind of pleased. "I don't know what I'll decide yet. But - maybe."

"Okay! Just let me know. I guess - we should probably talk to Kivi first. If we were going to do that."

"Yeah," he agrees. "Kivi first. I... still want to find my friend, if I can."