Ryke sat beside me, Ren between us, Ashveil going golden around us.
"Silo?" he said. He'd been briefed, obviously.
"Inside," I said. "Talking."
"Vael?"
"East building. She knows he's in there. She's giving him the time."
"Smart," he said.
Ren made the conversational sound.
"She's telling you something," Ziko's voice said, from somewhere behind us. I hadn't heard him come out.
"She's making sounds," I said.
"She's TELLING you something. You have to learn the language." He crouched in front of the carry-cradle. "What is it, Ash."
"Her name is Ren," Ryke said.
"Her name is Ren and her nickname is Ash and she has a ceiling fan she's made peace with and an eyebrow that's going to ruin things for everyone eventually and she is telling her mother something." He looked at her seriously.
