After considering it—and, truthfully, agonizing over it at times—for many days, Meerkat arrived at a decision. She knew she could not simply pick up her kids and go. She doubted anyone would refute their leave of absence, yet after everything that had happened lately, Meerkat fully intended to
overcommunicate her plans.
Beneath an overcast sky, she wandered in search of
@Mireille this morning. Meerkat couldn’t be certain the new Obsidian was in the territory; she might have gone out looking for her missing nephew. Although the Laramite did not intend to conduct an official search, she hoped to keep an eye out for Requiem on their travels, as well as notify Mereo and anyone else they might come across.
Just when she was thinking of calling for the young woman directly, Meerkat halted abruptly, finding herself in front of the burrow in Greatpine Wildwood.
preparations were underway. soon she and sobo would be able to leave for a little while. of course they would come back; of course they would come home.
but quennell had not been wrong when he referred to the sadness in the cliffsides.
meerkat found the girl stuffing something into a fold of kelp, herbs or a fur or the like. she turned warmly to greet the older woman, eyes finding the pensive face.
"what be on your mind, meerkat?" the young obsidian called as she drew closer.
Quickly, she turned away and moved eastward through the woods. She nearly forgot her purpose here, until she found herself crossing paths with the very she-wolf she hoped to find.
Mireille, hello,
Meerkat said, trying to calm her fluster. I was hoping to speak to you about taking my children down to Mereo to visit their grandmother,
she added succinctly in reply to the young leader’s question.
mireille had not been long in the role. it felt like a tough piece of new string, wrapped around her ankles tight enough to chafe. but maman had chosen her for this, and so the girl was determined to do it justice.
her emerald eyes were soft, and she nodded. "when will you be going?"
and was she coming back?
mireille hoped so, but njord's disappearance had made things difficult for meerkat.
Erzulie had encouraged her to go see her mother, yet she was no longer the Obsidian. Her blessing still meant much to Meerkat, though now she looked to the young queen for her final answer.
Mireille posed a question and Meerkat replied, Whenever the pack can spare us. They’re young and have never traveled, so I want to take it slow. We’ll probably be gone several weeks.
She paused thoughtfully before continuing, I’d like to go soon, if we can, for optimal traveling conditions.
Of course, she did not want to ignore the elephant in the room. I was hoping to spread word about Requiem while we’re away,
she finished quietly.
mireille nodded, keeping the news of her and sobo's own trip to herself. they would stick to the coast, after all, and could be called back. meerkat was taking her kids far. "go now," she urged with a smile and wave of her tail. "we cannae have you gettin' stranded in de snow on de way back."
it felt like her first order as leader. "i will tell de ot'ers. what can i do to help you prepare?"
requiem. her face cleared of its stormclouds for the first time in what felt like a long while.
Mireille seemed to take a page out of her mother’s book as she urged Meerkat to go as soon as possible. The Laramite was suprised but pleased by the young woman’s blessing, then caught off guard in the best possible way when the Obsidian asked how she could help Meerkat prepare.
Thank you, Mireille,
was the first thing she said in reply. I have to make sure the kids are as ready as they can be. We’ll leave within the next few days. I’m not sure there’s much anyone else can do, except forgive us for being away a while…
But as she pondered what else she might ask of Mireille, Meerkat instead found herself saying, I hate to admit this but the kids and I have been missing him so badly, I didn’t think about you guys and how it must affect you too. You must be worried about Njord and miss him too. I’m sorry.
as soon as the spotlight settled on her, mireille bit the inside of her jaw, worried her lip. she shook her head sharply, trying to avoid meerkat's eye. but for the first time it had been addressed, and her emerald eyes felt pressure behind them.
the obsidian swallowed. "it be hard." the admission came just as roughly. "but not as hard as it be for you an' de little ones, meerkat."
mireille reached to brush the other's cheek with her own. "we must stick toget'er, yes?" she meant to be reassuring, but her stepmother's loss was reflected for a moment in her unguarded green eyes.
She knew Mireille would miss Njord, whatever faults his eldest children found with him. That made Meerkat wonder what exactly Sobo made of his absence. But she couldn’t entertain such thoughts now, maintaining a focus on the young Obsidian.
Yes,
she replied quietly, returning the nudge. I hope you know that I have every intention of coming back,
Meerkat added, in case Mireille wondered if there was a chance she might want to move on with her life elsewhere.
She couldn’t and wouldn’t speak for the kids, of course. She actually wondered if this trip might stir their wanderlust, like exploring had done to her at their age. Or perhaps they might enjoy Mereo so much, they would want to stay there to enjoy a change in scenery.
Meerkat would miss them even more than their da, when the day came that her children left her. But she had been preparing for that day their entire lives, longer even. Just because Njord had vanished, it did not mean she intended to obligate their offspring to stay with her, should they choose to spread their wings.
"i know. i believe you," mireille said with a grin, though now that meerkat had mentioned it a second time, she wondered if the older woman truly was considering it.
she could not blame meerkat if that was the case. the cliffs were sad. she hoped it would not stay that way but for now they held a wild sort of melancholy.
"an' i will see you when you do, all of you," she declared, tossing her red hackles and deciding she would be happy. she would be strong.
Meerkat smiled softly at Mireille’s declaration, appreciating the sentiment. A selfish part of her hoped the kids would stay with her for some time yet, despite preparing herself for the inevitable severance of the umbilical cord.
Well, I’d better go tell them to start preparing themselves,
the Laramite said. I’ll howl to announce our departure, then check in the moment I return, especially if I find out anything about Requiem,
Meerkat promised.
She touched her nose to the corner of Mireille’s eye, then offered a brief lick to her chin in fond farewell.
<3
mireille bobbed her head. "all right, meerkat. thank you, an' be safe." she herself could not imagine anyone leaving; the only one she had ever seen leave their shores was herself and coraline and requiem.
two of them had come back.
she must have hope for the third.
mireille watched as meerkat turned to go, howling a note of love before she went back to the borders, resuming a search she knew would be fruitless.