Tholn hugged her back warmly, the contact lingering just long enough to speak without words before he murmured, "I'm back."
Feeling her arms tighten around him at those words, he heard her voice tremble with both sentiment and relief as she whispered, "I really missed you."
"I missed you too," he replied, the corners of his mouth softening into a rare, genuine smile before a playful tone took over and he continued, "It's not like I was gone for years…"
"How long are you going to be staying this time?" she asked, completely changing her demeanor as one brow arched in playful challenge, though the corners of her mouth betrayed her pleasure at seeing him.
"Until he gets better," Tholn replied, tilting his head toward Ash with a faint, meaningful glance.
Ash stepped forward and dipped his head in a respectful bow, "My name is Ash. It's nice to meet you."
