While the colonists gathered to watch the ship come to anchor, Drunais flumped on a stone by the shore around the far point and pulled her lute out of its hand-carved case. She had left her long-bow in the forest, abandoned as her human lover had abandoned her.

She let her fingers trail over the strings, singing a lover’s lament in her own language:

“dear one far away
clouds gather while darkness falls
my life is so sad”

She’d written it herself.

A round, crowned head raised itself out of the water nearby.

“So many Troubles for the land-dwellers,” said Tuc to himself. Then he said more loudly, “Bark?” causing Drunais to leap into the air with a scream.