Stone Circle over the castle on the hill

Her face glowed and she turned her grinning gaze between Greyback and her mother. She had come a very long way, indeed - to the end of the world and back again - and she was hardly in the mood to eat right now. Her excitement danced like butterflies through her stomach, and all she wanted to do was listen and talk.

Yet this was hardly an argument she imagined would take, so she found herself nodding instead as she skipped forward and fell in procession with her mother, sister, and honorary uncle - she hardly knew Greyback, but he seemed to have made a presence here, and that put him on level with Murdock, who had been an "uncle" in her eyes, too. They were all family here, after all, regardless of their blood.

"Thanks, ma," she said with a smile, and turned her attention to listen as they walked. Clary had always been a talker, but she had learned the art of listening, mostly from her aunt Nanook. Her face, however, spoke her emotions loud and strong: the fall of her brow when her mother spoke of Stark, and his terrible ailment and disappearance; the pinch of a frown when she spoke of raising the kids alone again. How awful! But Valette's news of taking Greyback as a mate filled her face with surprise, and Clary turned her wide eyes toward the older man.

She didn't know what to think at first, but the way her mother smiled at Greyback made her heart squeeze with an ache that wasn't completely new to her. This far, her mother hadn't been lucky with the mates she chose, and she hoped Greyback was different. There was genuine love in the way Valette spoke of him, and she searched the older man's face for that same love reflected in the light of his fire-kissed eyes. Maybe this time would be different, maybe it wouldn't. In any case, until she knew, Clary would give him the benefit of a doubt.

Clary bumped her sister's shoulder with a conspiratorial grin when Valette spoke of her promotion. "Beta of Easthollow, right on, Steph! You really weren't kidding when you said a lot has happened! Hokey smokes," she said, once her mother had finished. "Some parts sound like they honestly sucked, but I'm glad to see that you're doing well now," and at that, she turned to Greyback with a sparkle in her eye, and offered the man the tease of a grin - mischevious, but good-natured, and warm, "Better watch out for mom real good there, mister Greyback. She'll definitely keep you on your toes." Clary was pretty sure her mom could take on every wolf in the Teekon Wilds with her eyes close and legs bound, and still come out on top.

"What've I been up to? I guess a lot and not-a-lot all at the same time," and she turned back to her mother as she explained, "I just travelled around a lot. Met a pretty sweet nomadic pack to the south of us -- oh, that's where I went after I left you guys, since Aunt Nook showed me the North already, and I really wanted to get out and see something new. There was this great big desert, which was a little bit better than Red told me it would be, but not by a lot. I didn't stay there long, though. The pack was living in a much better area - wide, and grassy, with a couple of trees and distant mountains," she paused, and glanced around, "Huh. kind of like here, actually. Anyway, they taught me a lot about ranging, and exploring, and a little bit about medicine and herbs. Honestly, I kind of wanted to stay with them longer, but," she glanced aside, her gaze wistful and tinged with uncertainty. Clary still didn't know if her decision was right, but it was one she had thought carefully about, and she would stand by it now. "I guess I just want to start a life for myself, but somewhere closer than out there. Not actually in Easthollow, but somewhere nearby. I just..." and at that, she shrugged, and turned her gaze back to her mother, "I guess I really missed you guys."