The terrace unfolded like a dream, but Andalusia knew she was awake. Memories still dangled just a bite from reach, like the tricks of bait and snatch her siblings used to play when she'd been much younger, yet arguably no less innocent to the world. Only difference was, the world had beat her with every trick now. Orphaned young, a barren bride, finally healing, only to have the good things gained both ripped away and forgot. Hah. She could see no wrenches left to throw, but tough luck there. Life was hard, that was simply a fact. She missed the man she remembered - and Andalusia wouldn't stop hoping, praying he would come. But even if he didn't, she had to keep living. Life hadn't killed her yet - so it wasn't an option to stop.

Nor did her paws care much to stop, anyway. Even as she healed and regained her strength,  the tawny ranger descended Moonspear with the intent to explore the flatter areas around their claim. Even as a girl, mountains were never her flavour of choice. They held a certain magnificence, she supposed, a touch more welcoming than forests, but they came nowhere near the wild claim of the open fields of flatlands and prairies, the tall wave of summer grass, and the spread of star-speckled skies. Tonight, she wouldn't see much more in the sky than clouds - but from the looks of the shadow standing tall in dusk's ethereal glow, she would at least find company.

"Magnificent, isn't it?" Andalusia said when she noticed his watch toward the mountain. She squinted to see if she recognized the other - if maybe, she'd already found the wolf she was looking for. The distance still concealed him, so she crossed closer at a casual walk, and still felt the shiver of hope hold out. "Take my word, the view's even better from the top."

There was something familiar about his face - a recognition, though distant and unplaceable - one she was ready to shrug off when he simply met her with the start of a promising banter - but then, he squinted. And he recognized her too.

The world almost seemed to stop, and froze her with one forepaw still raised, while the rest of her leaned forward with the crane of her neck and the lift of her tall ears. His face fell into a hazy place, distant - and just as quickly, the earth began to spin again and run with her heart at a pace twice as fast. "Andalusia Ostrega." Her strong voice came out as a breath, and she flared her nostrils - expecting him an apparition, and to be met with nothing. But while the scent of Moonspear reached heavy from the mountain base to confuse and dizzy the warring smells around, his scent crawled toward her through the mix, and her heart turned when she recognized: the Caldera. They were ... alive.

Her brows lifted, and whatever speech might've lit her tongue knocked away at the simple whooosh as there fell the final piece, clicking in to fill the last empty spot in the broken puzzle of her brain. And she remembered. She remembered everything. The tiny moments she'd forgotten, their embrace when they had grieved upon the slopes of Silvertip, the wanting to leave, and the gentle rush of his voice as they spoke their goodbyes. The shine of his fur mixed with blood beneath the shadows of the frozen pines. The decision to die, so that Sebastian would live.

And he had.

He had lived, and he was alive - and when reality came again, she found herself sitting and unable to remember when she had stopped standing. "Yeah, well, it takes a lot more than a tumble through ice to kill me, apparently." She mumbled with a laugh, but her voice remained preoccupied, and that much could be seen in the half turn of her head, and the parting her mouth like she had something more to say, only to close her lips again with a furrowed look as she reconsidered. "Sorry, this is just - " she closed her mouth again. "I mean, I can't even - "  and she turned her head and fell silent with a shake of disbelief.  "Heck, I just honestly can't believe this. He - you - the war - I've been looking - and then the Caldera - " she could only shake her head again, while her eyes glinted with a laugh she didn't quite understand. "This is really a lot. Just - give me a second." And despite her wide and honest grin, her brow still furrowed, unable to completely comprehend how this was actually happening.

The sudden shock had stolen her words, and she took a careful second to reign them in. "Yeah, yeah. I'm fine," she tried to reassure, but hell - with that look, she could only imagine what he must've been thinking. She wasn't insane - and the best way to salvage his perception of her was to tell him everything straight up. So in her typical way, she did. "I've been looking for you guys for months. After the war, I took a fall into the river. Don't know how long I was under, but the impact, or maybe the lack of oxygen - either way, I conveniently forgot most everything I knew. It's all been coming back in little pieces, here and there. But Sebastian - " Sebastian - and she shook her head again with a clutch of silence because her chest stung with the remorse that she had ever forgot him. It didn't matter that it hadn't been her choice.

"Sebastian. He's alive?" Hesitation filled her voice, because even though Colt spoke of him like he was, that persistent doubt still chewed at her ears.