Bearclaw Valley Welcome to Rising Sun Valley, Brother.

Ezra settled next to her, and Clary returned his smile with a beaming grin. Whatever nerves she had felt vanished to the sheer thrill of this, her first real mission as a scout! She roamed her eyes across every inch of snow and every rocky crag, her antsy shifts and twitching posture bordering informal, even more so next to her brother's calm composure.

A stark form peeled between the stones, and appeared so suddenly the girl spooked with a startled jerk, but she blinked rapidly and found a smile quick upon her face again. She didn't know whether to feel relieved or anxious at his jest, and she settled on a giggle. The stubborn one. That about summed Steph up to a T. "Nah, she had to stay home today," she said, and turned her head downward with a sheepish grin, the burn of her mother's eyes hot against her. She liked Xan, she decided. He was funny - but boy, was she was in trouble now.

Thankfully, when mama spoke, it was nothing of a scold against her, and Clary did everything to hold back a sigh of relief, though her shoulders visibly unwound. Someone new had come up to Xan's side in the meantime, and Clary set her gaze upon her, and her eyes widened. This one looked like no wolf she had ever seen, nor any dog, for that matter, and she had to force herself not to stare. Her angular appearance spoke of something wild, and her eyes, they set in her face like ice and fire - at least, what Clary thought fire looked like, from the small stories she'd heard as a pup. The girl's wonder lapsed to a bright smile and a thump of her tail, as she offered every new face she met.

She turned when she heard her name, and glanced at Ezra briefly before she turned her attention up to Xan again. Brother? "Yes! I knew you were!" she blurted, only to shut her mouth quickly with an apologetic tuck of her head. But actually! This really was mama's brother! Not that she'd ever doubted him, but she'd be sure to rub this all over Steph's face once she got home. For once, Clary had actually been right on something. No way would she let this one go!

The talk turned to other matters, all very important, she was sure, but it was so hard to sit so still for so long and she twitched and fidgeted at Ezra's side, flicking her tail across the ground and kneading the snow until it turned to slush beneath her. She watched Xan and the girl for their reaction to their gift, if they would like it, if they would use it, if there were pups here, if Xan had kids, if mama had more siblings she hadn't told her about...