"He's a fine dog," Daine says, giving Aster a fond pat and grinning as he scores a lick to her wrist. "They all are. It's plain enough that you've been doing well by them."

She sobers at the news the dogs share, though. And how is your new pack treating you? she silently asks Foha. It's always a little awkward, talking around two-leggers who can't hear mind-speech. But she's only interested in how Foha would answer this particular question. And it's one thing to tell folk she can talk to creatures, and another to have what looks like a one-sided conversation with them while a hapless two-legger looks on.

"It's true," she replies aloud. "They say they've lost folk." She doesn't elaborate beyond that. She shouldn't need to; Gannicus doubtless knows exactly who she's talking about, and she doesn't want to twist the knife.