Hushed Willows grey hoarfrost vanished, and the rose with might [festival]

She focuses on the steady rhythm of her own breathing as her gaze scans the crowd, seeking to soothe herself by investing her attention elsewhere. It only helps a little; nothing can truly drown the sound of wolves talking and laughing, the way their scents mingle into one overwhelming mass of information. The soft sound of her name is so out of place in the scene that for a moment, she thinks she's imagined it.
But somewhere within herself, she knows, even before she realizes it; her breath catches and she freezes, heart picking up a frantic pace despite her immediate assumption that it must be Derg, if not her imagination. That is not the sound of Derg's voice; much as she adores listening to him speak, this voice is one far sweeter to her ears — one she has only heard in dreams for what seems an eternity. She turns, heart jumping to her tightening throat as her gaze falls first on the achingly familiar hazel-green of her brother's eyes.
Merrit? Her voice is almost a whisper, perhaps too soft for true clarity over the sounds of the party, but it matters little. She's moving before she realizes it, rushing to embrace him without a second thought. She has imagined this meeting so many times, comforted herself through so many cold nights with thoughts of their reunion, of what she would tell him, of their journey home. She'd imagined so many things — but those thoughts had fled her the moment she locked eyes with her brother. Now her mind is racing too quickly for coherence, her heart thumping too hard in her throat for speech, and all she can do is bury her face in his scruff with a sudden, choked sob, tears filling her eyes as she takes in his familiar scent. He smells like comfort, like safety, like home, and the crushing reminder of how much she has missed all of these things threatens to suffocate her. He's here now, and it will all be okay — but she can't seem to stop the trauma of the last few months from crashing down on her in the face of their reunion. She'd never meant to be gone so long; she'd never meant to leave him or any of them. And she has felt so, so alone until now.