Sun Mote Copse iridescent

I was thinking this thread could mainly be for Njord & @Meerkat with others tossing in cameos/no post-order for simplicity. Set May 23rd.

The day was overcast and drizzly; for a while, Njord feared Spring’s last full moon would not shine on the Copse. However, by evening the clouds began to part and a vivid sunset of orange and pink cast the forest in a warm hue. The moon rose just above the tree line. It was like a living metaphor for the turbulence the Sveijarn-Corten family had endured last week and reminded Njord that no storm couldn’t be weathered.

He called the pack together with a long howl at the Gathering Place adjacent to the river. Upon a broad, flat stump he placed two small treasures: a rock of holley blue agate split down the middle if it had been cut by human hand. The outside texture was rough and unrefined, but the inside was like the water’s surface on a clear and sunny day.

He welcomed any member of their small village, happy to have them join together to help celebrate his union with Meerkat.

Meerkat’s moods were all over the place lately. Just this afternoon, she’d spirited away in a quiet corner of the copse to cry for a while. Now her head pounded and she worried that her face was puffy. But she wouldn’t miss tonight’s commemoration for anything in the world. She was a little heartsick lately, though that same heart rested safely in Njord’s hands. She knew he would stand beside her through life’s ups and downs. That was the whole point of their vows, old and renewed.

Earlier in the day, she had plucked a single Nootka rose from a small bush near her hideaway. When her husband’s summons rang through the darkling trees, she trotted to meet him with the stem clenched gently in her teeth. Meerkat set the single bloom beside the chunks of stone on the stump, pausing to admire them. She stepped back, catching his eye in the gloom before sidling around the stump to press a kiss to his cheek, then gently lean her head on his shoulder.

She let her eyes slip shut, trying to settle her heart and mind so she could just be with Njord and enjoy this small, moonlit celebration.

@Otter did her best to describe the full moon to Skipjack as the pair of them glided west through the copse. Between his familiarity with the terrain and his sister’s guidance, the bairn felt confident enough to speed up to a trot. His grin stretched from ear to ear as the cooling air whistled past them.

He knew when they reached The Gathering Place, so he slowed and began navigating toward the stump at its center. Skip strained his ears for his parents’ voices, though it was rather quiet. He started somewhat when he realized Njord and Meerkat were beside his target, sitting in silence. He nosed toward them.

Why are we bein’ so quiet? Skip whispered, touching the chunk of wood out of reflex.

His toes touched something. The boy made a curious noise in his throat and began to gently explore the items with his paws. His wee toes bumped against the stem of a rose, smoothing over its soft petals. Skipjack leaned down to draw in its fragrance. He then moved on to the misshapen stones beside it, face scrunching as he tried to identify what it was he was feeling.

The sky was awash in watercolor tints of pink and orange, the clouds having cleared off just in time for his parents' ceremony. Stingray arrived quietly and settled in near a tree trunk so he could rest his shoulder against it. He could hear the nearby burble of the river and the whispers of Otter and Skipjack as they navigated the central stump and its gifts. These, and the way Ma rested her cheek against Da's shoulder, were a balm to his turbulent soul.

This night was very important for his parents, and Stingray wished so dearly to be present and happy for them. He mustered a smile whenever their eyes found him, but his own gaze was flat and troubled. It was impossible for him to be completely present knowing what he now knew, having omitted some of the important details in his own distress.

Stingray wished Swordfish was here to witness his parents' vow renewal, too, but his brother was out there all alone and refusing to come home, and all Ray could think about was that it must be his fault. He had left his brother behind.