Redhawk Caldera it's over.

Finley would have anticipated that Elwood or Peregrine would have been the first to find her there. Or perhaps Shrike. Maybe even Trick. But the wolf she saw coming her way was none of these, though she did momentarily believe that it was Peregrine. But the wolf's frame turned out to be far too delicate, and not nearly tall enough. She didn't know this girl - or at least, she didn't think that she did. Fin studied her with curiosity, her brow furrowing further when she heard the familiar moniker that only the alpha's kids had ever called her.

"Raven?" she said softly as the wayward Redhawk came nearer. It was the only explanation, but Finley was too stunned to accept it right away. A fleeting thought took her that immediately sombered what otherwise would have been excitement. Lucy might look like this one day. Finley would never know.

The former beta shook her head and pushed past the thought. She smiled faintly - a worn, tired upturn of one corner of her mouth that began to fade almost as soon as it had appeared. She was quiet as Raven howled for her family, anxiety broiling in her stomach as she realized the moment would soon come when she would see her mate and tell him she'd failed. She had thought she was defeated enough that it wouldn't matter as much to her, but that didn't seem to be the case.

Raven offered her food, and it took Finley a moment before she decided that yes, food would be good. She nodded and looked at her god daughter, still not fully able to properly react to the fact that she was home again. "Food would be good. Something small. Preferably not smelling like coyote," she requested with the smallest grimace. She'd stolen too much from other predators and it may well have just been in her, but their odor made their kills taste different.

Finley heard footsteps then and her attention was taken. He was there. Her heart clenched fiercely at the sight of him and all at once she felt more weak and broken than she had at any point during her adventure. He was running towards her, and she was inwardly struggling to pull the pieces of herself back together. It was fear, heartbreak, guilt, joy, and overwhelming relief when he touched her. She whimpered and melted against him while tears spilled from her eyes in a way that she had spent her entire journey back coaching herself not to do.

"I'm sorry," was all she could murmur as she buried her face into his fur and breathed him in. He smelled like home, and her kids. Family. It was wonderful, and it was terrible all at once.