Gods, she was fast. An answering howl sliced through the air with the familiar enthusiasm that always seemed to accompany Liss, and he braced himself for her very sudden and impending arrival, shoulders squared in case she didn't manage to stop in time - a habit left over from every visit he ever paid his mothers, and Valeska's poor ability to brake.

He relaxed.

She was merrily leaping through the air rather than carving a vicious path through the lush grass, and as she stopped only a short distance away, he couldn't suppress a broad grin as she immediately flung herself into a play-bow - he was going to mimic the movement but she was too quick, and already she was lapping at his muzzle and wiggling all over him like an excited puppy. Alder strained to lift his head above the assault, fumbling for his bearings.

Agh - yes, of course - I meant to a while ago, but a lot has happened - he managed to break away, panting as he recovered from her enthusiastic greeting. Alder at least did her the service of offering a few tail-wags and an awkward muzzle-lick in return to reaffirm their friendship (though he wondered if she would hold him hostage anyway should he ever decide to end it), and let her speak.

Oh, yeah, the world splitting apart and - all that. Yeah, it was pretty crazy, he agreed quickly. Truth be told, the end of the world paled in comparison to his latest discovery. He could hardly contain it, and then the words spilled out unprompted. I found her, Liss! I found Solvi! She was half-dead in the snow and she doesn't know what happened, but she's back, and Liss I told her I loved her and did you know she said it back?

Alder, a very masculine wolf about to enter his fourth year, nearly swooned.

Sometimes I think I'm dead, he said. But! Um, sorry, I'm very glad to see you're okay. I did mean to come by sooner, but...

A very strange encounter flickered to attention in his memory. It seemed pertinent enough to mention, and anyway, maybe he wasn't the uncle that went crazy she'd previously spoken of. The odds of Nerio being that very specific wolf were slim. He was probably someone else.

Do you know of a Nerio? Son of... Adipose... Adi... Adevidar? he asked. I ran into him, and he talked about looking for a 'long lost princess of the Vale'. He said her name was Elisabet? Is that you?