[ Her eyes are still a little melancholy when she turns to Frieda, but the smile on her face is genuine; she’s easy to cheer up, especially by someone as kind as Frieda. ]

Thank you. It’s been years since I left, and my parents and I trade letters often, but… I still miss it sometimes. Come, I’ll show you the house!

[ She leads Frieda through the village, otherworldly in its silence. It’s not just the people that are missing — there are no animals to be seen either, even though faint birdsong reaches them from the nearby trees. They soon arrive at the centre of the settlement, where one house stands above the others; it’s not particularly ornate, but it is larger than the rest, hinting at the inhabitants’ status. The door is unlocked, and Falin walks right in, gesturing for Frieda to follow; from how comfortable she seems with it, this must be the house she grew up in.

The atmosphere inside is much like in the rest of the village — the walls and floors are stark wood and stone, but the woven rugs and comfortable-looking furniture give it a warmer, more lived-in appearance; evidently, real care has been put into making this rugged space feel welcoming. Falin wanders through it with a wistful smile, touching things as she goes — a shelf here, a dish there, all clearly used and well-loved. ]

I haven’t been back here in years… It really is quite big now that it’s just my parents and the dogs…!