Redsand Canyon seems a pity not to take a chance

As soon as the silence swallowed her tentative call, Germanicus appeared. 

"It's good to see you as well, Germanicus," Ruenna returned his greeting with a weary smile. 

Did he know of the downfall of Redhawk Caldera..? She expected he probably did. Not unlike herself, Germanicus had the knack of knowing things, being in the middle of things, and finding out things. 

And so he would have known to expect her. He may even have been waiting for her here. 

"Oh! Um.." Ruenna emitted, a bit surprised to hear the apology. "There's nothing to forgive. I wasn't offended," she insisted. Germanicus's reaction to her proposal was understandable and even predictable, given what he had revealed about his plans for Mereo and the confusion in his heart around Crowfeather. Truly, Ruenna should probably be apologizing to Germanicus for putting such a decision upon him so suddenly. 

She walked with Germanicus, following his lead. She would lean upon the proffered shoulder for stability when their path climbed or dipped, or they crossed unstable patches of soft sand. Otherwise she would walk freely.

"Humbled, I think, is a better word for it," she would admit after a time.  His hesitation had prompted Ruenna to see herself through Germanicus's eyes, and reality was sobering. She had grown comfortable with her level of esteem in the Redhawk Caldera, and she had mistakenly assumed that others would see through her outer flaws--as Towhee had-- to respect her intrinsic value. She would not make this mistake again. 

"I shouldn't have put upon you what I did. It was the wrong moment for such a proposal." Would the moment ever have been right? It seemed unlikely. Ruenna still struggled with finding the correct balance between reaching out for what she desired, and patiently accepting what the universe chose to offer her.