Just getting this in my threadlog!
Following the directions given to him by Sialuk, Stingray made his way across Moonspear by way of the borders and down the other side into lands unknown. It was heavily forested on the other side of the mountain range, and in the dead of winter, it was impossible for Stingray to tell from afar which forest
@Meerkat and
@Njord were settling. He picked his way down the slope, feeling anxious about how much harder it would be to find him than he thought.
Fortunately, the Moonspear leader had been correct when she said they weren't far. No sooner had he reached the foothills did he catch their scents on a wayward breeze. His tail picked up a jaunty wag and his steps grew lighter as he headed down toward it and forded a shallow spot in the river. On the opposite bank, he paused to shake out his coat and angled his nose into the air. They had established a prominent presence here, that was for sure.
Stingray howled a brisk tune to announce himself to them:
I'm here!
Meerkat’s feet still itched (metaphorically) but now they were starting to swell (literally) and she knew she’d reached the point where it was much more responsible to stick close to home. She still had quite a lot of energy, which she spent on increased patrols, especially since her growing appetite kept Njord constantly on the hunt.
She squatted to sprinkle a patch of snow when a voice rose toward the overcast January sky. Meerkat wouldn’t have ordinarily rushed, though she recognized it instantly. In her haste, she nearly wet her own leg. She gave her hindquarters a little wiggle, the sprang toward the sound of her son’s voice.
Ray!
she exclaimed the instant her eyes found his goldenrod figure ahead. Ray, Ray, Ray,
she proceeded to mutter with every bounce toward him until, with nary a hesitation, she grasped him in a wolfish hug.
A familiar song broke the quiet Copse’s silence.
Njord’s head, once close to the ground as he tracked a hare, jerked up in astonishment. Quickly, he changed direction and sprinted towards their caller. At first, some part of Njord did not believe he had recognized the voice – too afraid to be mistaken.
But when the trees split and he saw his son’s burly figure all hesitation went out the window.
“Stingray!” Njord cheered with a roll of his R as he threw himself into an embrace with his wife, deeply thankful to be reunited with their child once again.
They came almost in sync from different directions, though Meerkat was the first to reach him. His mother bounded across the distance and Stingray felt like he was four months old again. His chest hit the ground and his rump wiggled with the force of his wagging tail until the last second, when he reared up to collide with her in a tangle of wolf limbs and excited whines. His tongue reached for every inch of her face, at least until the weight of Njord joining the pile made him stagger sideways. Laughing loudly, Stingray knocked into his father with a good-natured shove.
Ma! Da!
he said breathlessly, leaning into their warmth and embrace for a moment longer before breaking away. Sialuk said I could find you here. Nice place! Can I get a tour?
He swept an approving look over the nearby trees. A lot of forests he encountered were closed and labyrinthian, but at least from here by the river, this one seemed open and spacious. Private enough, but not claustrophobic, and not at all dark and fragrant like The Lakewood he had recently departed.
Njord joined the embrace not long after Meerkat took her grown son in her arms. There was a lot of jostling but she didn’t mind. She held onto Ray as long as he let her, only stepping back when he broke away. It was wonderful to look upon his face again, see the changes time had wrought. But he was still the same old Stingray she deeply cherished.
Ah! I’m glad she pointed you in the right direction. Did she seem alright?
Meerkat said. Of course, we’d love to show you around. And you can tell us everything you’ve been up to since we saw you last.
And though it likely went without saying, she still wanted to say, Och, we’ve missed you so much.
Njord gave a hearty laugh, amused by Ray’s casual mien. After all his time away, all he wanted was a tour? He stepped back to admire his son and see the man he had become as a smile of pride created crow's feat in the corners of Njord’s eyes.
“We’ve missed ye,” he added as husband and wife spoke over one another as they fussed over their son. Then, Meerkat took the lead.
“Aye, we want tae hear all about your journies,” he appended.
Then, Njord turned with one leg extended to lead them together on a tour of the Copse.
Ray took a moment to appraise his parents' faces, the subtle changes brought on by the endless march of time. Meerkat had hardly changed, though it was evident in the softening of her curves that his mother was pregnant with his newest siblings, a thought that made his tail wag even harder. Njord, being a little older, was a touch more rugged than Stingray remembered, but there was no decline in the man's strength. They looked well and were thriving, for which he was grateful.
He would never forget the sorrow in their eyes when Swordfish disappeared or the bone-deep weariness of leaving Sapphique, nor would he forget their joy when welcoming Seal and Orca into the world, or their grief while holding Narwhal. He had seen his parents through good and bad, and was overjoyed that they seemed happier here than they ever had in his memory.
Oh, yeah, she's good!
Stingray answered, beaming at his mother. Same Sialuk as I remember. It's crazy she has kids now, it didnae feel like I was gone that long! It sounds like pretty much everyone else is still at Moonspear. Oh, but she said Seal went to Buh... Bro-shell-unt?
He had no idea where that was, but one of his many mental notes included going to seek out his sister for a visit. He would have liked to see Orca as well, but it sounded like she took after Mercy and had gone off on her own, and at such a young age.
They asked about his time away. Stingray faltered. He wasn't ready to talk about the reason he had returned, but it wouldn't hurt to share some of the details. Well, I went down the coast a ways and met a pack of pirates,
he began, walking along with his parents as they led him through their scenic new home. Rowdy bunch. Nothing like Sapphique or Moontide.
Not that they had been pirates, but it was the closest approximation he had. With a shudder, he added, I'm pretty sure they'd kill one another if it meant they got to take the booty. That's what they called their bones and stuff that they collect. They were drunk all the time, too.
And then I went inland a ways and met this pack of wolves who lived with a bunch of horses. They acted like horses, even. Lived in a big pen and everything and had weird floppy ears.
Clearly, Stingray was not familiar with the domestic dog. Then I met a pack of stargazers who lived on a huge plateau. You could see the sky stretch on forever there!
He heaved a wistful sigh. I stayed with them for a while but started getting homesick, so... Here I am!
No mention of names. He wasn't ready to talk about the people yet. Stingray wasn't sure he ever would be.
Brecheliant,
Meerkat assisted with a nod. She’s spending some time there to learn from them. I meant to visit but time got away from me.
As Stingray regaled his parents with talk of pirates—she exchanged a look with her husband over their son’s shoulders, eyes a little wide at the talk of drunkenness—Meerkat took it upon herself to lead the party of three around the copse. In between mentions of wolves who fancied themselves wild horses and stargazers living as close to the sky as possible, she pointed out landmarks like Meerkat’s Bourie and Mercy’s Garden.
And this is Ray’s Beach,
she announced when they approached the widest part of the eastern waterway bisecting the copse’s western stretch. Just ahead is our rendezvous site and The Taigh, which is intended to house the entire pack. We can head there now if you want to sit and have a snack, otherwise we’ll turn north and walk in a circle starting at Orca’s Forest.
Njord walked in step with his wife and son as Stingray wove vivid stories during his time away. Pirates, horse-wolves, and starwatchers! Njord was pleased Ray had broadened his horizons. He was becoming a strong man of good character because of it.
With every chapter, Njord added a remark here or there to show his enthusiasm.
Then, the trio came upon a beach they had named for him.
“Your mother an’ Ah ‘av been tending this land since the fall,” he added. “It felt right tae name a space for you an’ every one of your siblings.”
Ray was talking too animatedly to notice right away when Meerkat named the various landmarks of the Copse. It made sense to name her burrow after herself, as that was where he thought she would be giving birth, but he failed to recognize the pattern until they paused at the edge of the river and they named it.
The static buzz in his ears, the sheer surprise at having a landmark named after him, drowned out Njord's explanation.
It registered late and he turned to his parents, eyes shiny with emotion. This is really sweet,
he said, picking his tail up in a happy wag. There must be locations named for all of them, which meant...
Can you show me where...
He paused as his breath hitched, then cleared his throat. He'd never come to terms with the presumed loss of his littermate, which showed in the soft droop of his ears. Where Fish's namesake is?
Perhaps she should’ve realized Ray might want to start at his littermates’ landmarks. Meerkat smiled at him indulgently, ignoring the slight pang deep in her breast as she motioned for him to follow her. She led the way across the pack’s rendezvous site toward the little lake due south of The Taigh.
We call it Fish’s Loch,
she said softly when they arrived, stepping closer to Njord to give their son some space to take it all in.
Njord wordlessly followed as Meerkat led the way. Then, when they arrived, Njord leaned against his wife and watched Stingray’s reaction. The humble loch was a beautiful and serene place. Even in winter, there was a calm energy emanating from it.
Part of Njord wished to ask Stingray if he had seen any sign of his brother during his travels. They were always looking. Hoping. Yet, a stoic silence overcame him as a wave of nostalgic grief passed through his heart like a gentle breeze.