Redhawk Caldera Boom and bust

Whatever guilt she felt about leaving so soon after her promotion was greatly tempered by the fact that Wildfire would get to exercise her new role during her travels. Tucking the mission into her figurative back pocket, the newly minted Bandrona stopped by Gyda's den to find Thuringwethil, sneak in a kiss and bid the babies goodbye. She then collected the trusty @Gavriel and the two of them departed Sleeping Dragon, adopting a quick, steady pace as they trekked southwest across the flowering wilderness.

The journey took several days and the heat and humidity were hard on their bodies but frequent water breaks helped somewhat. And no locusts came to waylay them this time. The two of them made decent time and they arrived within visual distance of their destination late on the morning of the fourth day following their departure, the thick air already heating as the day raced toward solar noon. It was the first time Wildfire had laid eyes on her birthplace in nearly four months.

They had hugged the southern boundaries of the flat lands and bypassed a lake earlier that morning. Wildfire's coat was still a little damp from the dip she had taken. But her mouth went a little dry as she slowed and stopped near the pack's borders. She smelled her parents, her godparents and, presumably, her little brothers. Her heart felt like a balloon in her chest and she exchanged a quick look with Gavriel—excusing him to hang back and take a break while she caught up with her family—before pursing her lips and calling for her loved ones.