here for social call but babies welcome also!
chakliux arrived at the
ulaq of
@Njord and
@Meerkat. with him he carried boar meat taken from another pig, further upon the mountain. he had hunted long hours with nasamik, and at last they had found the blessing of oil father.
chakliux was dirtied by the effort of it, streaked with grass-stain, smeared by pine-sap. blood had dried from his mouth to his chest, and his paws were filthy with mud. yet there was pride in his bright eyes.
"you came to my lodge, so i come to your ulaq," chakliux explained as he stood outside, for this was friendly, he felt, friendly in the way sialuk meant for all of them to be.
"this meat is for you, to give thanks that you kept raiyuk."
@Raiyuk,
Meerkat called to the little boy scampering around the
ulaq with
@Orca II and
@Seal,
your father’s here.
She didn’t wait for the pups to acknowledge her before stepping outside to greet the man standing at the door. Meerkat’s eyes drifted over his filthy pelt to the hunk of meat in his mouth. She smiled, tail flicking.
I told your wife the only payment I needed was for you two to return the favor and sit the girls so we can have a date night,
she joshed.
But thank you, Chakliux. It was my pleasure.
Definitely,
Meerkat agreed, already eager to steal Njord away for a night to themselves, much as they adored their daughters!
Chakliuk’s next words plucked a melancholy note from her heartstrings, the smile falling from her face. Somehow, it didn’t surprise her. Quennell suffered from a malaise of spirit worse than Meerkat had ever seen in anyone else. She remembered how adventurous he’d been as a little boy… and what he’d been like during their last rendezvous.
It worries me, that he would wander off… but I can only hope he went somewhere to find peace,
Meerkat said helplessly. Wondering if Chakliux felt responsible like she did, she added, I think we did everything we could. Quen has been deeply troubled ever since the bear attacked him and Fish…
He was very adventurous as a little boy,
Meerkat said thoughtfully.
Maybe that spirit returned to him.
She knew it was overly idealistic. Why wouldn’t he announce his departure, if it was only wanderlust? Instead, he had disappeared without a word or trace, just like Swordfish. Meerkat wondered if they might actually be looking for each other out there. She took comfort in the thought—no matter how idyllic—that they might find one another. And finally heal.
Meerkat glanced at the pups, who were still playing together. She caught Raiyuk’s eye and pointed at his father. Finally, the rambunctious little boy peeled away from the girls—who were given a look and shake of their mother’s head when they tried to chase after him—to heel at Chakliux’s side.
We’ll all see one another again soon, maybe even as early as tomorrow,
Meerkat said for all the youngsters’ benefit, catching the hunter’s eye and smiling.
I knew you were trying to pare down your threads, so I figured we could fade this one.