The pups stirred softly in her belly as Meerkat meandered through the copse today, paws crunching in the snow. She found herself thinking of
@Orca II and
@Seal today. Where had the former gone? Was the latter enjoying her stay in Brecheliant? Oh, she wished she could visit her, though her due date was too close now for any sort of traveling.
Well,
she said, taking a seat and resting a paw on her baby bump,
Ray and Fen showed up so maybe others will too, just in time to welcome you earthside…
Now her thoughts shifted to
@Nyssa. Meerkat decided to call for the other woman, her sandy muzzle pointing at the dazzling blue sky. Her eyes slipped shut against the glare and she felt the winter sun’s warmth on her eyelids. It whispered of spring.
Today, Nyssa was finding herself in a rather energetic mood. Maybe it was the crisp winter air. Or perhaps it was the promise that spring was right around the corner.
Either way, her spirits were as high as her energy.
It had paid off in the form of success in catching herself a meal. Dark jaws snapped around the plush, white furred neck of a snowshoe hare that had been caught off it's guard. Bristling and proud of her accomplishment, she raised her head, the body still in her jaws, when she heard Meerkat's voice.
Her ears pricked forward a little more. Her amber eyes glimmering a little brighter, just at the sound of hearing her. She was deeply fond of Meerkat already. It was with little surprise, that in a flash, she was racing across the snow covered ground. A dark form bolting and weaving through the scattered trees, emerging to greet Meerkat in a ball of energy.
She licked her lips as she waited, amber eyes drinking in the sights of the wintry copse around her. There were other signs of spring, if one looked closely enough. The sparkle of a melting icicle dangling from a bare bough caught her eye and Meerkat smiled.
A little while later, Nyssa swept in like a wind from the south, warm and uplifting. Meerkat watched her speedy approach with dancing eyes, mouth watering at the sight of the rabbit flopping about in her mouth. She licked her lips again, though she wouldn’t assume it was for her.
Hey! Thanks for coming. I was just wondering how you were doing today. Good, I take it,
she answered her own question with a laugh.
She zoomed right in on Meerkat, prancing around her once in a rushed circle. Clearly, her spirits were high, made more so now that she was meeting up with her again. Without much thought, she let the rabbit drop with a thud on the ground. She had seen the way Meerkat's eyes filled with hunger at the sight of it. "It is yours, by all means. I can catch another, no problem!" She insisted.
Adding on, with her tail still going a mile a minute, she nodded. "Of course I am. It is just...one of those, ya know, feel good days." She grinned. "At least to me it is."
Meerkat looked larger by the day, with a tummy full of pups. It couldn't be long now. "How're you feeling? I hope everything has been going smoothly." She held back the urge to try and coax her into zooming around, playfully. In her state, she probably didn't have the energy or desire for that. "I met your husband, Njord the other day. He certainly made me feel welcome enough. You all have." The appreciation in her voice was clear, offered up with a fond, if not somewhat timid nudge under her chin.
She would’ve liked to join Nyssa’s prancing, though there was no way she could move like that right now. Meerkat chortled at the thought, eyes still following her pack mate’s exuberant movements… at least until she dropped the rabbit at her paws, declaring it Meerkat’s for the taking.
Thank you, Nyssa!
she remembered to say after staring at it hungrily for several beats. I think I know what you mean. When you feel those first hints of spring after a long winter, it’s like a weight lifts from your spirit, one you didn’t even know was there until it’s gone and you’re left to enjoy the sweet relief of its absence.
Still moving hither and thither, Nyssa asked how she was doing and remarked on Njord’s welcoming attitude. She was happy to hear that Nyssa was settling in well. Meerkat couldn’t help but wonder if she’d met her sister or her son yet and just hoped it would never make Nyssa doubt her place among them.
We’re happy to have you, Nyssa,
Meerkat said, surprised but pleased by the nudge to her chin. Really,
she continued after giving Nyssa’s nose a little nibble, we’re lucky to have such a happy spirit among us. And a good hunter too!
This time, she didn’t just stare at the dead rabbit. Maneuvering carefully around her own swollen belly, she bent to pluck at the carcass. As she tore into it, her pale tail swept the snowy ground behind her, creating an imprint that resembled a haloing sunbeam.
With a dark blur of a waving tail, Nyssa watched, pleased as Meerkat dug in to the fresh rabbit. "Yeah, I love that feeling. Almost as much as I love spring. Just you, know, seeing everything bloom to life. It is so refreshing." Meerkat understood perfectly, which delighted Nyssa to know that they shared that.
Giving a soft giggle towards the gentle nibble on her nose, she slid down to rest on her stomach near the expectant mother. "Thank you. I just feel...so at home here already. The warmth and inclusion...I dare say I almost feel like I might've found a second family."
She averted her eyes as her cheeks warmed. It was a bold thing of her to say, but it was the truth. There was no replacing her own kin, lost to the wilds. Here, she had been scooped up and given the chance to flourish.
“Refreshing” was the perfect word for it. “Rejuvenating” suited too. Meerkat mused as she ate. Her thoughts might be silent but she devoured the meat with noisy gusto, complete with happy growling whenever she tore a particularly juicy chunk from the carcass.
You have,
Meerkat said simply, not too busy consuming the food to forget the woman who’d brought it to her. Woo,
she exclaimed breathily, then explained, The bairns are kicking hard. Sometimes it knocks the wind out of me a little bit. On that note…
But before she continued, Meerkat was forced to sit up straight for a moment. She breathed through the flurry of movement in her midsection, then belched abruptly and laughed, cheeks warm.
Shew, pardon me! I guess it was bairns and bubbles,
she said, hiding another burp behind an upraised paw. Anyway, I was going to ask you if you’d ever thought of building a family of your own: finding a husband and having children?
"I'm glad." She offered back, choosing not to put too much weight on it. There were other, more exciting things to talk about. Nyssa chuckled softly. "I bet you can't wait till they arrive. And I can't wait to meet them." She sat up with her, looking perplexed, at a loss of what to do. Fortunately it was just a case of stomach gas.
Meerkat recovered and Nyssa joined her in a melody of light laughter. "Aw don't worry about it! Those things happen, I don't mind!" She rubbed a sooty paw on her shoulder, as if to shake away any stubborn, lingering bubbles.
She had been listening for what Meerkat was going to say. And when she did, her amber eyes popped wide slightly. Turning her head away with a slight flush of color under the dark fur of her cheeks? "What? Me?" She shook her head, ears slanted back. Flustered. "No I've never given it any thought. I'm still young. I want to focus on re-discovering myself, first."
She ducked her head when Nyssa rubbed her shoulder, appreciating the words of reassurance. Her comrade was right: she was eager for the pups’ arrival. Meerkat dearly wanted to meet them, though she also wanted to reclaim her body. The last weeks of pregnancy were always so challenging.
For the moment, she kept her attention on the topic at hand. She was a little surprised by Nyssa’s fluster. Meerkat worried that she’d touched a nerve, especially since she’d lost her natal family not so long ago. She didn’t sound upset, though the leader noted her bashfulness, listened to what she had to say, and respected the implicit boundary.
Of course, that’s a very worthwhile endeavor too. If there’s any way we—that I, in particular—can help you with that, you’ll let me know, won’t you?
Meerkat offered, tapping both into her counselor roots and her maternal instincts.
"I most certainly will, thank you Meerkat." Nyssa replied gratefully. Before it slipped her mind, she very briefly touched back on the subject of settling down. It was an exciting prospect for any young wolf and certainly something she hoped for. But it just wasn't the number one item on her list, right now. "Perhaps next year I will be a little more interested in searching for a partner. Or, maybe we will just find each other. Who knows?"
She shrugged. You couldn't control how love and destiny played out. What would be, would be. If she found that person here or far away, it would be so. It could be tomorrow or years from now. Nyssa didn't fret over it. Her stomach rumbled. She had left Meerkat her own catch, and now found herself wanting a proper lunch of her own. "I'm um, gonna go grab a little something for myself. Maybe snooze, depending on how I feel afterwards." She pressed her crown to Meerkat's, affectionately. "It has been great with you today, really."
Her goodbye settled, Nyssa sprinted off to find lunch.
She couldn’t help but wonder if Nyssa had ever considered Stingray, though as much as Meerkat enjoyed the thought, she would never meddle in others’ affairs of the heart. She only smiled, eyes glimmering, when her pack mate indicated she was open to the idea in the future.
Who knows,
she replied in kind. Okay,
she added when Nyssa announced she wanted to find herself something to eat. Thank you for the rabbit. I enjoyed talking to you too, Nyssa. I’d love to do it again sometime. Anytime.
She returned the headbutt, then laughed lightly when the younger woman turned tail and sprinted away. She was such an energetic, upbeat individual… and surely a very fine hunter. Meerkat peered down at the rinds of the kill, feeling a rush of gratitude.
She’s gonna be a good role model for you guys,
Meerkat spoke in the direction of her belly, starting to trundle toward The Taigh now to take a proper nap. I’m glad she’s part of our family now.