The girl had lost Shuu, too. He died of starvation along with a daughter of Tarben’s king. He was a reason for the latest war in Starfall. The one that had brought about this plague, but also Beartooth’s death. Balerion was a king. Amalthea was a queen. Khas and Mayze had disappeared; Weiss and Estelle were long dead; and Balerion ruled over Dreamfyre and Mori. Willow was fairly sure she had some nephews by Mori. Mothered by a Tarben woman who died birthing them. But she didn’t care anymore because she was empty and hollow.
Word was that Amalthea wasn’t even Queen of Nightingale anymore, having given the rule up to her goodsister Hecate after the disappearance of Cato. Willow didn’t much care whether this was false or true, being a sad shell. She had no life left inside of her, and she knew it too.
She sat quietly by the other wolves and watched as they arrived, one by one, and she stared at Esmae passively. It would seem Kratos was gone, too.

“We never once were who we thought we were.”