Morning brought the familiar rhythm of home. Waking to birdsong she recognized. Making tea in her own kitchen. Stepping into her garden as the sun rose. Aria tended her herbs with the joy of reunion, checking each plant, making plans for winter maintenance, feeling the connection to this space that had shaped her.
The pack council meeting was scheduled for midmorning. Aria arrived to find the full council assembled. Nessa, Ezra, Marcus, Luca, and the other senior members who governed Moonvalley. The same room where she had sat for her first meeting, but she felt completely different now.
She spent two hours presenting what she had learned. What she had taught. What connections she had built. She shared Senna's network directory. Explained the collaborative research from Lakeshire. Described the different teaching approaches that had worked in different contexts.
