Redhawk Caldera It is safe to say...

It isn’t so bad.  But I definitely didn’t want it when I was your age.  She hadn’t really wanted kids back then either, or so she thought, and look how much that had changed!  Sometimes she felt she had grown into an entirely different person.  Parts of that made her nostalgic for how little she’d needed to worry, back then, but she knew she wouldn’t go back if she could.  She had so much more now.

As Ceridwen changed the subject to her younger sister, Maia chuckled.  I never doubted it!  But I’m glad she had you along.  Maia didn’t share Eljay’s desire to keep them close when they wanted to travel, but with what happened to both Chickadee and Bronco, even she had reservations about what might be out there now.  Frolic was still young; Chickadee had never been the same, after that day.  Remembering the fear, and the way she’d pulled away ever since, still broke her heart.  She didn’t ever want to see that look in the eyes of another child.

The best way to learn is by experience.  For anything stories can’t cover, at least.  Where did you two go?  She was more curious about this than what she’d planned to ask anyway - thoughts of leadership could wait until she and Teya had a chance to settle in and discuss further.