Last year Dwin had barely noticed the seasons changing. She had had so much to do then that it had felt as if she was not exactly present and was observing only random snapshots of things happening. Then the dark and cold winter months had come and up until few weeks ago the Good Ol' Madame had stubbornly refused to leave. The first green grass, some overly-enthusiastic spring flowers and leaf-buds had endured freezing temperatures during the nights and even a chance snowfall that had covered everything in a thin blanket of white for two days. But then the warmth and light won the struggle, had taken the throne and basked the Earth with plenty of sunshine, wealth of beauty and a promise that better things were to come. 

Dwin was happily in the middle of it. She had had her reservations about leaving Brecheliant behind, but in the end she had made an arrangement with Maia that suited them both. A new rank
"Sciathán" had been created for the packmates that wanted to learn about the world through travels and then return with stories, konwledge and experience to share with those, who in the meanwhile kept the hearth of the Nest alive. This gave Dwin's journey an entirely different, more important purpose. She did not miss her home so much, but looked forward to the day, when she was to fulfill her promise. 

Dwin was not alone for long and was glad that fate or, whoever was directing her story from above, had interfered and made a decision for her. A wolf from the village was approaching her. First, the young Blackthorn was a little bit apprehensive and cautious, then she eased up a little and took a few steps towards the stranger. 

It was a very pretty girl, clad in the most unusual pelt of browns and whites. She had a kind expression and an aura of a little sun that was able to melt away some of Dwin's wariness and even managed to make her smile. "Hello," she greeted the other, once they were within a distance, where proper canine greeting ritual could be carried out. "Are you one of the village wolves?"

"Only in passing. Earlier this spring I was accompanying my sister Sylvie, while she collected stories of other packs. But I cannot remember exactly, whether we stopped by at this particular moon-pack or at a different one. There are quite a few," Dwin explained, thinking to herself that, while having a franchise was a good thing, moon-woman's followers could have at least chosen more creative pack names. 

"My name is Dwin and my other sister Chickadee lives here with her husband. At least that was true few months ago, when she came to visit us," she told. "She then mentioned of starting a new pack with her husband, but I do not know, whether she managed to do it or not," she said. "Maybe you know?"

"Brecheliant," Dwin offered helpfully and thought to herself that this kind of news was the last thing she had expected to hear. Last time she had spoken to Dee, there had been a lot of "home does not feel like home" and "I owe this place nothing" and "I want to start out on my own" and a defiant "so, what if it is a moon-pack"? Reflecting on this later, Dwin had felt ashamed that she had attempted to guilt-trip her sister in returning to the Nest, completely disregarding, what she had wanted and wished. It had been difficult to admit that all she had said had been for very selfish reasons. In order to feel less bad for her own leaving, she wanted to have someone else fill her space. Now Dwin wondered, whether her skills at convincing had been better than she had thought. And whether Dee had gone home, reflected on their conversation and had come to entirely different conclusions. 

"Then I have missed her along the way. Wow," she let out an awkward laugh and shook her head, still comprehending the news. "Oh, well - better late than never, I guess. So - are you related to her mate Kivaluk? Because in that case it would make us some sort of relatives through very convoluted and complex branching of the family tree," she joked, though a small part of her wished it to be true. Ariadne was very easy to like. 

Dwin was not fully aware of the truly complex web that was the moon-pack family tree. Even to her very liberal worldview the knowledge of the all the details, on how matches were made, children were conceived, husbands were shared would make her raise her eyebrows. She would probably not be judgemental, just surprised. As a person, who had considered her neighbours being devout catholics, learning that they were free-love-for-all hippies or something along the lines. 

"Well, maybe calling me a sister right away is a bit too soon - what if it turns out that you have met the nasty-tempered ol' hag of the woods?" she poked fun at the ease of declaring her a relative. "You do realize that Hags take all promises very seriously. In other words, it is very easy to welcome a witch in your house, it is far greater challenge to get her out of it?" she chuckled, tilted her head to the side and waited for Ariadne's response. In a way this nonsensical banter was Dwin's way of finding out, whether the girl had any sense of humour. 

"Well, either the fairy-godmother gave you the gift of bottomless patience or you have not yet been tested by a hag," Dwin laughed. Ariadne had passed the first test - she had not felt weirded out by her shenanigans. Better even - she was trying to play along! "I can tell you that having a hag in your nest is just a little worse than having a bunch of rowdy, sharp-teethed children that you either need to herd around or have to run from them trying to eviscerate you," she bantered on. "Though - if you asked some parents, I think that they would be just about willing to exchange those kids for a single hag," she added. 

"Interesting... interesting..." Dwin replied, narrowing her eyes and looking Ariadne up and down. "Though your name does indicate that you have some ancient magic in you already. Do you know the story?" she asked. 

"Oh, you heard the version with a happy ending. That is good," Dwin remarked. The one thing she had truly disliked about Greek and Roman myths was the persistant theme of men/gods abusing/violating or simply disregarding women. Be it Zeus on yet another creative rape spree or some god mistaking obssession and privilege with love and turning one nymph's life hell. Heroes were not that great role models either. For some reason women always played the second violin. There were very few exceptions - one that came to her mind right away - was Circe. A witch. A hag. One of the sisterhood from times long gone. Then that other gal, who had made a guy fall in love with his own reflection. Terrible curse and Dwin did not quite agree with the motivations there, but you could not say that the guy had not deserved it.

"Well... Dwin's short for Ceridwen is a controversial figure and I do not agree with a lot of life-choices she made. But... she was a goddess of rebirth, transformation and inspiration. And I think that rather than living up to her name and fame of the past, my journey in this life is to add new meaning to the name and claim it as my own," a very complicated answer to a very simple question. "What is the story you want to tell about your name? I mean, times have changed and labyrinths and monsters are in short supply these days, but that does not mean that world has any less of surprises and adventures hidden up its sleeve," she asked.

"Well, it wouldn't do any favours. Just emphasize, how many heroes and gods in those old tales are patriarchal shits and that women are stereotypically weak unless they have a strong guy to lean on or someone, who comes to rescue her," Dwin summed up and shrugged. "I mean - strong women scared people of old, that's, why they portray them as evil, ugly or wayward," she explained. "That's why I have chosen my aunt's mission to reclaim and redefine the name "hag"," she added. 

Ariadne's answer to a very personal question surprised Dwin somewhat, because it was very wise and down-to-Earth for a wolf her age. She could not be much older than herself and yet in her place Dwin would have bantered on about great feats and adventures and - well - all in all - making a story of, how she had gone against the tradition, but still achieved greatness. She still believed that all the great things were ahead of her. Whereas it seemed as if Ariadne had already made it to the top of her Alpine path and understood that the peak she had imagined was not the one she had actually wanted to climb. 

Dwin was tempted to ask for the girl to elaborate more on this, but - she had to remind herself - they were strangers. And it was none of her business. "That is very noble," she told instead. "Come to think of it... yeah, I would like to tell you that I want myself being remembered as someone great and awesome, but in the end... once I am dead, I won't really care about any of this. So, perhaps, it is better to take life as it is and be happy, while I am alive," she mused out loud.

"Well, if I knew the whole answer, I would not be out here telling you that my quest is to redefine it," Dwin pointed out. "But I know, what it is not - an old, cranky and bad-tempered woman. I rather see it as someone, who is not afraid to speak their mind and not live within certain framework. But - since I know only one other hag that is alive, I hope that I will meet more along my journey," she told. "You learn the most by meeting people and talking to them," she finished her thought. 

"Ummm... I am not sure that's quite my end goal in life. I just want it to be interesting. Maybe meaningful," Dwin shared her thoughts. Happiness was a something that took place in a certain moment, but it was not a permanent state. In her opinion, it would lose the appeal, were she to feel it all the time. 

"I hope so too," Dwin agreed. "The world is a big place, I am sure there are lots of folk that would be entertaining conversation partners," she added. "Well, it was nice talking to you, but if I am to find a shelter for night and do not want to freeze my toes off, I have to be moving," the young Blackthorn's sentence might not make sense, since it was spring already, but the temperatures dropped sharply, when the sun disappeared over the horizon. And at that point she preferred to be somewhere nice and cozy. 

"I hope we meet each other again sometime," she said, smiling at the girl, not realizing then that this was the first and last time she would ever see Ariadne in person. But that's, how life goes.