Redhawk Caldera Turning purple at the dance evening

Dwin had imagined her homecoming to be grander than the way it had happened in reality. Like in the stories, where the protagonist leaves being nothing and then returns awesome and cool. She had come home very hungry, very tired, with less adventures than she would have liked and she did not feel that different. Plus, in the light of recent events, there never seemed to be a right moment to tell, what she had seen and who she had met. 

She had exchanged a brief and sleepy - Hi, mom! Hi, dad! - upon her arrival, but since then she had not had a substantial conversation with either of the two. Because alphing took just as much time and effort as looking after two teenagers - one undernourished, the other - badly hurt. So - it was a very welcome event to meet Maia face to face and have no one around to distract them. 

Undoubtedly there was this moment of mutual awkardness - Dwin had done some growing up, while she had been away, and therefore considered that she should act accordingly. Like adults did - steadfast, slow, polite, collected, calm - you name it. On the other hand - she was so, so, so glad to see one of her favourite people in the whole world, that she was just dying to rush over her and just burry herself in mom's embrace. Feeling torn, she shifted from one foot to the other, until an idea came to her mind. 

She looked over her shoulder on the one side, then on the other and feeling sure that no one was around to see, she squealed happily something unintelligible and closed the distance between her and mom in full speed. Good thing Maia was a big wolf, who could take the impact of a gangly, underweight, small teenager without toppling over. Dwin was giddy with excitement and somewhat incoherent in, what she wanted to do - hug, kiss, nuzzle, wrap herself all around mom - and eventually she calmed for a second, burrying her face in the thick and soft fur of Maia's neck, breathing out a: "I am so glad there is so much of you!"