When she came to, she found herself and Wesafricanezsong were alone. She could taste a multitude of markers in the brine; markers of panic and fear from selfs and other pod-shoal beings, all overlayed with a number of crude, oily tasting markers that were used to disperse liners in the event the pod lost control of its net. Of course, with Wesafricanezsong, Ghreynapnaize and Namericasonn no longer performing that function, such was the only option for the pod shoal to protect itself from its own liners and, hopefully, those of the Eur'opan.

Qi'tik swam close to Wesafricanezsong. He was still and quiet, and no longer had any octs on his body. The Bastion was dead, and would sing no more. She stayed with him for a while, grieving and lamenting her kin's loss and the end of all that had made the pod so powerful, while his body slowly sank down and out of sight. The markers of the pod shoal diminished, but she didn't make any attempt to follow.

She was still there, long after J'leef had risen high in the blackness above, stilled in her grief, when Secci found her.