Moonsong Glacier earth skills

He'd been searching for Eira, but when he glanced up at the sky, it was for another young woman. Or for her bird, rather. When he caught sight of the pale figure outlined by the sunshine behind it, he thought he must be seeing things — but then he shouted for it, calling its attention to him, and he knew it was her.

Dutch followed at a run to keep track of the bird as it led him back to Towhee Jr. He was out of breath by the time he reached her, and he could have wept to see her standing whole and undamaged. He had been telling himself all along that she was just off on an adventure, as full of wanderlust as he had been at her age. But, seeing her now, he realized just how fragile a facade that has been.

"Where have you been?" he demanded, his ptero stilted and incomplete. It was hard to use it at all with relief making him feel so energized and boneless all at once. "We were worried sick."

Despite doing his best to give every appearance on the contrary. And, despite meaning to sound stern, the gladness he felt at seeing her alive and well dominated his body language.