It was still a little too early to be certain, though the signs were promising.
@Heda was with child. In a matter of weeks, the two of them would be parents. The thought of becoming a
dad papa made him never want to leave his wife’s side nor the island’s shores again, not for anything.
But he’d promised Towhee and Meerkat he would visit them to meet their pups. He’d also told
@Sialuk they would catch up sometime too. Caracal wrestled with guilt that grew each day. He kept telling himself to take one last trip to the mainland—it would be a splendid opportunity to tell everyone the good news!—then hunker down with Heda and await the birth of their children.
He paced the shore overlooking the rest of the Teekon Wilds. The tide was down, revealing the sandbar. Yet Caracal could not bring himself to cross it. After a while of walking to and fro, he sent up a questioning howl for
@Kilgitsuk or
@Vesper, if they were still around.
After being welcomed by Heda, Kilgitsuk wasn't sure about leaving the island after all. He did what he had initially said: make camp by the land bridge, wait, and see what happened the next morning; then he waited for the day after, and the day after that, and eventually he got hungry or thirsty, and little by little he came around to the idea of sticking to the island.
There was a call for him, eventually. The tone of the call wasn't aggressive or in any way threatening, and sounded masculine, which made Kilgitsuk think of the ginger boy from before. He moved along the beach until a path opened before him, and followed it to where Caracal lingered.
Hello there,
he greeted, smiling. Kilgitsuk thought about commending the boy for his choice of home, as it was quite beautiful, but he saw how exuberant Caracal appeared upon first glance, and the thought emptied from his head. Were you looking for me?
He sort of hoped his cousin would show, though it was Kilgitsuk who came to him across the pale sands. He greeted Caracal with the same gentle warmth as before, then questioned his motive for calling.
Hey! Yeah, I was wondering if you could possible do me a huge favor,
Caracal replied. If you’d rather not, that’s okay! I just wanted to ask ‘cause, well, I’m 92% sure Heda is pregnant and she’s been getting sick, so I don’t want to leave her. But I told my family in Moonspear and Epoch that I’d visit when… anyway, you aren’t a messenger, by any chance, are you?
If he wasn’t—or he simply wasn’t interested in being Caracal’s errand boy—then maybe Vesper would enjoy the opportunity to visit their mutual relatives to pass along his tidings. He had some niggling doubts about that, though in the worst case scenario, the two of them (Kilgitsuk and Vesper) could possibly look after Heda while he took a quick leave of absence.
vesper was largely a nocturnal animal, which made it easy for them to feel like they were the sole inhabitant of the isle— as they had originally intended. it had been some time since they had last filled a cache for their cousin and his wife, and so the darkling had spent the midnight hours hunting small game and fish.
as the first embers of dawn began to glow, vesper made their way back to the cache near the arch. their place of offering. they fought back yawns as they trekked, not wanting to drop the few small carcasses they could carry in their jaws. caracal's voice rang from that direction, but they made no effort to increase their leisurely pace; they were on their way, anyway.
they made it in time to hear caracal ask of their fourth companion, "you aren’t a messenger, by any chance, are you?"
vesper gave a casual nod to them both, not feeling the need to interrupt, and moved a meter or so away to where the cache. they began to dig, large ears still attentive to the conversation.
The boy launched in to an explanation and Kilgitsuk was all smiles, amused by the way the wolf spoke; of course she was pregnant! Could he not smell it? Sense it? It was not Kilgitsuk's place to state the obvious - and he found himself wondering, was I like this when--? A train of thought which he refused to fuel, and instead focused on what Caracal was requesting.
I have never been a messenger, but, I have traveled a lot. I am sure I could do it and be back to the island swiftly.
If it helped out and it gave him the freedom to move around, all the better. Moonspear — that is the mountain?
He wondered aloud, and looked a little glum at the other name. I do not know where Epoch is, or what their people are like.
As he said these things, the woman from before — the young, jittery one — came in to view; she sulked closeby, and the man gave her a small smile when she gave her nod, accepting her presence and welcoming her. Perhaps she knows?
It was peculiar: as soon as Kilgitsuk said he would be happy to help, Caracal felt all his reservations rise up within him, stronger than ever. What would his family and friends think if some stranger showed up in his stead? Would they even trust him or anything he had to say? Would they be offended that Caracal hadn’t bothered to stick to his own word and come see them for himself?
Even if Vesper went with Kilgitsuk—a thought prompted by her appearance—that wouldn’t be a whole lot better. Caracal began shaking his head, feeling like an idiot for calling them here only to waste their time, though he supposed he would not have made this decision without this consultation.
I can give you directions,
he found himself saying a little inanely to Kilgitsuk. I just wanted to see if either of you might be interested in going. I haven’t made up my mind yet, to tell you the truth. I should probably just go myself, it’s just… Heda…
He glanced at Vesper, watching her stash a kill, and realized neither of them might know what he meant about his wife. They could probably guess, though Caracal was excited to share the news with someone.
Pretty sure she’s officially expecting!