While both of his brothers --or at least his older one-- where blind to the concerned faces of the visitors of the den and the dark circles dragging down their parent's eyes Maera and Jokull seemed to have unnatural radars implanted in their brains that allowed to pick up on the emotional changes of the Sveijarn's parents.

Still the redhaired baby never thought much of it, it only popped into her mind when it occured but after a few minutes the sound of her father's deep sighs sinked back to the bottom of her mind right next to the things that had slipped through the cracks of her thin attention span. Besides ever since her motor skills had been upgraded and more and more visitors were coming to say hi --when in reality they were actually saying bye-- she had been far too busy playing to worry about the sense of uncertainty that clung to her parent's coat.

As the champion-napper of the litter Maera was hardly disturbed by the movement of her mother when she tried to break free. She didn't mind the moving and the wiggling as long as she was left in peace. Something she hadn't mastered yet was to drown out the sound that threatened to disrupt her dreams. She frowned as Valtyr's moans began to pull her back into lucidity.

Her little eyes fluttered open and inmidiately searched for the figure of her plump brother. "Shh" she hissed flatly as Shadow had done when she had shouted at his face. She didn't know what Val was crying about but she didn't make an effort to find out; as soon as her angry command was thrown at the baby she turned around and cuddled agaisnt Larus.

Roused from Tuwawi's movement, Jökull yipped softly and rolled over onto her front. Sleepy eyes noticed the dimness illuminating not only her brothers and sister, but her parents as well. Jökull liked getting up in the morning, but she could tell something was not quite right with this picture. Whatever percolated just beyond their understanding was coming to a head.

What with the absence of both Njal and Tuwawi these past weeks, the small tyrant picked up on her mother's apprehension. It was tangible to Jökull, even if made apparent by daddy's soothing croon. Valtýr, however, was clueless, sticking to the den's earthen structure uneasily. As soon as he cried out for mommy, a rather sharp, impertinent 'shhh' resounded from deep in the den. Maera wanted to sleep, and baby brother was disrupting that.

Jökull liked her spunk, but deemed it inappropriate giving what was going on. Abruptly coming to a stand, she rushed at Maera with a loud snarl and bared teeth. Fueled by the electricity in the damp morning air, the largest Sveijarn was in no mood for infighting and impolite demands...despite handing them out herself. Hovering over her sister's prone form, she snorted distastefully before turning on her. There was no point in admonishing Maera. Something was going to happen today, and Jökull thought it best to stay her fangs; conserve energy.

Padding over to Valtýr, she shook the stiffness out of her muscles and joined him at his side. Lingering close, she shared in her brother's body heat. Voicelessly offering some reassurance whereas Maera had offered none.

Maera would've thought the reprimand given to her brother would've been enough to shut him up for a little longer; maybe just long enough for her to end her glorious dreams of mud and tall blades of grass that caressed her belly. Well she couldn't have been more wrong, just as she turned her back to the boy and nuzzled her pillow's (Larus) belly the sound of an angry volcano hissed next to her ear. She whipped her little head around to find her sister issuing a sharp warning to her.

What had ever happened to boys drool and girls rule?, she wondered as she ultimately accepted her sister's dominance with an apologetic whimper. She had been hurt her sister had sided with big bro instead of her but there was far more critical things to worry about.

The sound of voices outside the humble Sveijarn home intrigued the fire kissed girl, she lifted her head and cupped her ears towards the entrance, there were many wolves out there, since there was many different voices some she didn't even recognize. She blinked at the dim light entering the mouth of the den for a minute or two before deciding to do something about the racket.

She couldn't shush the adults, not after Jokull had scolded her so coldly. Slowly the redhaired girl lifted herself from the warm embrace of Larus' body and took a couple of steps towards the growing voices. She stopped a couple of footsteps behind the entrance and with the shadows still concealing her from their eyes she called out into the open, hoping for mommy or daddy to appear promptly.

Words of bittersweet origin left many lips. Some firm, others consolatory. Jökull could only stare on in wonder as each syllable died in foreign muteness. This – this was not her home. This sorrow, this stress – it resembled nothing of the home she has come to accept and love unconditionally. She decided this would not be her last memory of Swiftcurrent Creek, no matter how moving it was. However, Bazi jarred her from blocking all of this out; long, slimy tongue planting a wolfish kiss upon her crown. Jökull sullenly swiped her tongue across the ermine woman's chin. Adieu, loudmouth.

Looking around, she noted the absence of a particular minx. Leaf was nowhere to be seen. The fox-like woman's nonattendance soured her mood and stoked her latent ire. If Leaf could not be bothered to come say farewell then she was no less a stranger in a sea of faces.

Njal counseled them out, lightly prodding Jökull with his cold nose. Jökull walked some paces forward before stopping behind Tuwawi. Bashfully, she poked her head out to stare at the wolves gathered. She has not met many of these wolves, but they were unmistakably a part of Swiftcurrent Creek. Looks like I'll never get to know them either. Sigh.