Dragoncrest Cliffs ae dilla marjaaniyaan

Just a few hours after bumping into @Sialuk, Meerkat continued her westward journey, bound for Sapphique. She replayed bits and pieces of their conversation in her head as she loped along toward the coast. Her emotions were all over the place, so in an effort to quell them, she channeled her energy into a breakneck sprint.

She didn't stop running until she neared the rocky shores @Njord called home. Meerkat slowed and stopped, her pale flanks billowing as she panted. As soon as she had the breath to spare, she pointed her snout skyward and howled for the red-tailed man.

This song is so pretty! /random

After his defeat by Kigipigak’s fangs, the red-tail had slunk back to Sapphique to nurse his ego. Though the northerner had not cut his skin, Njord’s face was swollen and bruised from the hard impact. On the first and second day, he avoided any other members of the pack – Erzulie, especially – and by the third, he was out on a solitary patrol when he heard a familiar voice on the wind.

His dampened spirit was lifted, like a bird on a swell, but a sudden rush of negative emotions tempered these sunny feelings. He hesitated, ashamed by his pitiful loss and the gift – the shell – he never brought her. A familiar feeling of unworthiness poisoned the Sapphiquian’s mind… only this time he didn’t have Rosencrantz or Merlin to build him back up. Still, he proceeded with caution. If Meerkat was Kigipigak’s kin, perhaps she had given him the ammunition, the knowledge of his heritage, to attract his ire on purpose.

Njord’s tall form broke the treeline and he saw her: sandy fur flowing in the wind, bright orange gaze expecting him. His heart skipped a beat. Njord wished he was half as presentable – one of his jowls drooped from the swelling.

Despite his recent events, Njord’s gaze softened. “Ahoy, Meerkat,” he called as he approached. “Ya came… I’m glad.”

She took a seat, still breathing hard, and settled in to wait. Naturally, her thoughts and feelings caught up to her. In fact, her scumbag brain chose this idle moment to replay Issorartuyok's recent words in her head: "I do not know if I am made to be that way..." Just like the first time he'd said them, their echo felt like it froze her pounding heart in her chest.

By a stroke of serendipity, Njord appeared in the distance. The sight of him banished her thoughts to some dark corner of her mind. Meerkat let out a long breath as she sat up on her haunches, very much resembling her namesake as she raised a foreleg in a wave. She settled back into a proper sit before she lost her balance, a small smile making its way onto her face as she watched him get bigger, and bigger, and bigger...

His unique opener made that tiny smile grow. "Ahoy, yourself. I promised I wou—" Njord came close enough for her to notice the lopsided swelling of his features. "Njord? Are you okay? What happened?" Meerkat said, voice suddenly thready.

She perched herself neatly upon the fringes, waving a sandy paw to greet him – until he got close enough. Njord inwardly cringed when Meerkat’s happy expression washed away like a wave on the sand. Did he really look that bad? If only wolves had mirrors… Njord sheepishly raised his wrist to touch the tender side of his face, and flinched from the sting.

What happened? She asked. “Ah, ahem… dinna fash, lass,” he petitioned, “was only in a bit of a brawl, that’s all.” The redtail did his best to smile through the embarrassment and blunt pain. Inwardly, he seethed at the thought of Kigipigak’s smug face. “Canna say I’m much of a fighter.” Njord shrugged his shoulders and pretended as if it didn’t bother him.

But a question in the back of his mind haunted him. “D’ya know a man named Kigipigak? Said he’s welcome a’ Duskfire. He's a pigheaded fool with a loose mouth… but a damn good bruiser.” Njord touched his face again and winced, but realized he was wasting good time with Meerkat dwelling on a bad event. “Ah – but lessna worry ‘bout it. Are ya ‘ere for yer grand tour o Sapphique?”

She usually enjoyed Njord's funny words, though she could only frown in puzzlement as he told her about some kind of altercation. He downplayed the entire thing and Meerkat's lips parted as if to refute this, when she realized it wasn't really her business. Still, she couldn't help but frown more deeply when he touched his face and grimaced.

The frown grew deeper still when he asked her an unexpected question. Her lips pursed as she tried to place the name, thought eventually she shook her head and said, "No, I don't think I know him." And it didn't sound like she wanted to change that, based on Njord's description. "And I don't think he's part of Duskfire Glacier. Maybe he's from one of our allies' packs?"

But he didn't want to dwell on the topic and Meerkat reminded herself: it was none of her business. She would respect his wishes and let it drop, though she wouldn't forget that name. Kigipigak, she repeated in her head, frowning when she realized it sounded like a northerner's name. That made her think of Issorartuyok and she really didn't want to do that right now.

"Yes! I would love to see the place you call home... specifically that beach you mentioned," Meerkat replied to the invitation, speaking perhaps a touch too emphatically as she endeavored to banish any thought of her Alpha from her mind.

Map here!

The seafarer could see concern deepen the lines in Meerkat’s expression, orange eyes sat beneath knitted brows against the darkened smudge of her socket – which only made her eyes even brighter by contrast. A wash of guilt rushed through Njord. He could feel his sour gossip curdling the mood, but a piece of him was relieved to hear that Kigipigak wasn’t Meerkat’s cohort. Maybe the yellowbelly comment was just coincidence after all…

Njord loosed a small sigh when Meerkat’s responded enthusiastically. He was thankful she had the good social grace to continue the flow of conversation and relieve him of his misstep. “Verra good!” Njord smiled as his red tail curled happily.

“Dragoncrest isna like Duskfire, but she ‘as her own beauty,” Njord explained as he turned to lead Meerkat into Sapphique. “The hills ‘ere dinna wind me like tha glacier,” he added with a laugh.

“We’re in tha lowlands, now,” he explained, “tha Tangle makes fer a nice natural barrier on tha border,” he gestured as they passed the old, dense wood. The couple made their way through the clearing and its copses of trees until they arrived at a river with sandy banks. Njord picked out a good spot to cross, the saltmarsh on the other side. “That there’s a place where Erzulie can find plenty of medicines fer ‘er store. Tha water is salty and ya canna drink it… the plot must be verra old, but the seabirds love it,” he explained.

Then, Njord took Meerkat Northeast and they moved along a great spine of raised earth that plateaued the giant timbers of the coast. “We call this place tha Greatpine,” he told his guest. He guided her towards some of the tallest trees in all of Sapphique. Woodpeckers noisily hammered the trunks and the scent of small game was fresh on the snow in this towering forest.

Then, they wound their was towards the next location. “An this is Mossblossom…” Njord’s glowing face didn’t quite match the snowy, sleepy glen. “Ah… well, in the Spring this place is jus’ perfect. I’ve ‘ad many a nap under that tree,” he gestured towards the crooked boughs of the area’s centerpiece with a laugh. “You’d love tha flowers, too, I’m sure,” Njord added. “Purple blooms fer miles.”

They passed the empty Roja den and arrived at Glintwater lake. It seemed like a good place for a rest. “Ow am I doin?” he asked the master, eager to live up to the high standards she kept. “Av' ya eaten lunch, Meerkat? Can I fetch ya a fish?” he asked, hoping to keep his company in good spirits with his coastal hospitality.

The upward curl of his crimson tail dragged the both of them out of their respective afflictions. Although her muscles were still ticking like a cooling engine after her gallop here, she swiftly bounded after Njord as he led her deeper into the lowlands, past the formidable stretch of The Tangle. The snarled woods dropped behind the pair as they veered slightly left, crossing a small stream and arriving at the edge of a marsh.

His mention of Erzulie made her think of the day back in May when the leader had offered her den to Meerkat. Much of that era was a painful blur in the yearling's mind, so she could safely say she barely remembered seeing any of Sapphique's sights. What she did remember was Erzulie's generosity and kindness, Njord's too.

She blinked back to the present day as her tour guide led her northeast now, the earth sloping underfoot. Meerkat regarded the barrier of pines for a moment, marveling at finding evergreens growing this near the coastline. Soon they veered away toward a small clearing with one solitary tree, starkly contrasting Greatpine. She could easily picture Njord napping beneath the tree as he described it, luxuriating on a carpet of soft, purple flowers.

As they moved eastward now, Meerkat glanced at the stony den with a flicker of faint recognition, or so she thought. But then they came to a great span of sparkling water and stopped. She wondered if it was fresh and dipped down to sniff at the surface. She didn't take a drink, instead straightening out and smiling over at Njord's question. It hit her right then that he'd pretty much wiped out her troubled thoughts and feelings from earlier.

"Speaking as a total touring authority," Meerkat replied, "you're doing, eh..." She held up a paw and seesawed it back and forth, then set it on the ground with a laugh. "I'm kidding. You're doing great. No, you're doing bonnie!" She didn't want to burden him with her woes, so she couldn't explain just how much he'd lifted her spirits. But maybe it shone in her warm gaze.

"Won't that take a while? I mean, I'm not in any hurry or anything, I just don't want you to feel like you need to spend all that time procuring lunch. I'm actually not that hungry," Meerkat admitted. "But you know what I do want?" she said in the next breath. "To see that private beach! Unless it's restricted?" She voiced the thought even as it occurred to her and, suddenly, she felt a little crestfallen.

When Meerkat said the word bonnie, Njord’s face lit up. For one thing, he was proud to actually be doing a decent job as tour guide. For another, there was a certain je ne sais quoi about hearing his own dialect in Meerkat’s voice. It felt like two ends meeting, or a fabric being woven together on a loom… and a familiar thrum in his chest made the seafarer’s heart beat a little harder.

She politely turned down lunch, though Njord wanted to assure her that he was a far better fisherman than a fighter. He was saving the best, the beach, for last and he could see she was keen to reach their destination. He laughed in amusement. “Only tha finest wolves are allowed on Sapphique’s beach!” he teased with sarcastic intonation, “good thing yer an exceptional one,” he said matter-of-factly. Njord’s gaze softened as his joke melted into honest truth, and then snapped away when he realized his feelings were worn right on his sleeves. “On we go!” he blurted, leading Meerkat round the Lake and across Bluepeace Meadow.

They arrived a the stony mouth of the long passage through the cliffs. Crashing waves and screaming gulls echoed down its dark corridor, a window of light at the other end. “Through here,” Njord gestured with a swing of his head. The tunnel was large enough for two wolves to walk abreast, it’s walls made of dark stone – some bone dry, some wet. The wind was cutoff in here, and apart from the white noise of the sea, it was peaceful. A strong smell of saltwater permeated the air.

It took no more than a minute or two to pass through, and Njord squinted as they came out the other side. A large archway marked the start of the beach and Dragoncrest’s tall walls gently cupped the curved bay. The sand was soft and granular, unlike the usual rocky beaches of Teekon. Some snow had gathered, but for the most part a good day of sun could warm the beach. On one end were small tide pools where the children played, filled with crabs, critters, and sea plants. The surf was gentle today.

“Race ya to tha wat’r!” Njord said as he crouched, ready to sprint.

100% a cameo hehe, I just figured someone would notice ;)

Rosalyn watched silently, from a perch on the cliff's rise, as Njord led a stranger into Sapphique's heart. She did not recognize Meerkat and, of all of them, the pirate was the least welcoming. Her unseen expression was rife with disapproval, but she remained where she was as both disappeared into the tunnel.

As was always the case, she would allow her wife to handle him.

There was a time when a comraderie had existed between he and the pirate, but as memories slipped from her mind and were scattered on the sea, her views began to twist. The only things to remain were doubts and fears, and the only opinion left as a result was perhaps he was no longer suited to his place here.

Fortunately she knew better than to decide this herself. And rather than interfere directly, she turned to leave, holding the sight in her mind for another day.

His declaration gave her hope, even though Meerkat wasn't sure she'd describe herself as one of the finest wolves around. When Njord called her exceptional, she kind of wanted to protest. Instead, she let the compliment sink in, warming her from the inside out. There was something about the way he was looking at her that gave Meerkat an inkling, though before anything besides her subconscious could acknowledge it, he motioned them onward with a loud exclamation.

The passageway reminded her of their foray through the glacier's inner workings, including the thrum of water pounding off the stone walls. But when they emerged, the sight was like nothing else she had ever seen, except perhaps on Wheeling Gull Isle. This place had a different feel, though, a sort of cozy and secure vibe that the open shores of the island lacked. It certainly felt private.

Her brown eyes swept from left to right, admiring the views on the stretch of beach. She always felt such happiness and peace near the seaside. It almost felt like coming home, though Meerkat had never lived on the coast. Before she could wonder why that was, Njord shouted again, challenging her to a race.

She glanced over at him, grinned and then bounded toward the lapping surf. Her muscles protested a little after her earlier expenditure, yet Meerkat ignored them. She didn't much mind if Njord beat her to the water's edge, either, her eyes closing when cool saltwater rushed over her ankles. The tide tugged at her, luring her deeper into the shallows, and Meerkat braced herself against the shock of it as she waded in up to her chest.

The pair took off towards the water. Though he declared it a race, Njord ran besides Meerkat with long, loping strides and hit the surf together. Saltwater splashed against his chest like the bow of a ship. “A Dhia!” he barked from the shock of cold as he bucked in the water. Njord gulped a great lungful of air and submerged himself below the surface.

He held himself under for a moment or two before pushing off against the sandy bottom and breaching like a whale. “Brrr!” Njord laughed as he shook the water from his head and then retreated from the sea. He wouldn’t expect Meerkat to do the same – maybe he had wanted to impress her.

Saltwater dripped from his tossed pelt and his paws sank into the dark, wet sand. “Whatdya think, Meerkat?” he asked her, blue gaze scanning the South end of the coast. He sighed, contended, “’tis a bonnie place.”

Her companion took to the water like a fish, her eyes following Njord as he momentarily disappeared beneath the waves, then resurfaced and paddled back to shore. She turned to follow him, shivering a little as the cold saltwater ran off her pelt and left her exposed to the chilly December air.

Planting her own paws in the damp sand, Meerkat shook herself. Even as she shed the extra weight from her fur, she abruptly felt exhaustion steal over her like a heavy cloak. She sighed and sank to her haunches, licking at the remaining moisture. As she bent to her task, Meerkat contemplated moving closer to Njord to steal some of his warmth, a thought which reminded her of doing the same with Issorartuyok not so long ago. Her heart pinched in her chest.

She straightened as he asked her what she thought. Trying to shake off the emotional weariness, Meerkat offered a small smile and agreed, "It's very bonnie, for sure. It's a lovely place to call home, Njord." Meerkat fought an urge to sigh, turning her gaze to scan the beach again in an attempt to lift her suddenly sunken spirits.

Just moments ago, she'd told him she wasn't in any hurry, though now Meerkat felt like she needed to get going, lest she drag down this otherwise merry day with her mood swing. As much as she liked Njord, she definitely didn't want to burden him with her issues. After hashing over things with Sialuk just hours ago, she really didn't want to revisit them herself.

"Part of me wants to stay here forever," she sighed, "though I suppose I should head out soon. My pack is actually preparing a memorial for some members we lost recently. I wasn't very close to them, though I want to make sure I'm there for their kids." A thought hit her. "You, ah, didn't know Wintersbane and Tzila, did you?"

If only Meerkat could read minds, she would see Njord was on the exact same track. How badly he wanted to draw nearer and lean in to help warm her cold, soaked pelt. Yet, he simply admired her warm whisky colored eyes as she preened. “Aye, I thank ye for yer kind words,” he replied. “Tha sea looks good on you. Yer fur blends right into tha sand,” he quipped, hoping they could come to share a deep love for the coast.

Already, a number of ways to extend their time together were running through the redtail’s mind but, before he could suggestion one, Meerkat announced that it was time to go. Njord did not balk, but gave her a gentle and endeared expression, which shifted into sympathy when he heard packmates had died. How sad they had left children behind. “No, I dinna ken them,” the Sveijarn said with a small shake of his head. “I’m sorry ta hear of their passing.” The North was a challenging place to live. Sapphique, too, had seen its fair share of despair.

The man led his guest back through the tunnel and out towards the Eastern border where they had begun their journey, unaware of Rosalyn’s disapproving eye. “I’m so happy ya came, Meerkat. Ye lifted my spirits,” Njord told the woman. “Hopefully I’ll be seein’ ya again soon?” he asked cautiously, testing the waters for any hint of mutual attraction. “My face should be sorted out soon,” he added with a laugh.

She wasn't entirely sure of the politically correct response in this exchange, though she went with a quiet, "Thank you," when Njord offered his condolences. It was a relief he hadn't known them—she didn't want to end their rendezvous with a horrible bombshell—and, to be honest, Meerkat was glad she hadn't known them better, otherwise she might really be falling to pieces right now.

Meerkat fell into thoughtful silence as the two of them left the beach, retracing their steps. Neither one of them spoke but the silence between them felt companionable, easy. As they walked in tandem, she reflected on his compliment. "The sea looks good on you." She doubted he meant anything by it, though it made her think of something she'd said to Issorartuyok. "But I want you to want me, to want to hold me close; and kiss me; and whisper sweet nonsense to me..."

When they reached the borders, he offered more words of praise. She looked at him with a slightly wondering expression on her face. He could joke all he wanted about his busted face, though Meerkat realized he was really quite handsome. She had to wonder if spending more time with him, getting to know his charming character better, had made him more attractive to her. Meerkat wasn't sure she was ready to explore this realization any further right now.

She drew in a breath and smiled. "Right back at you. You don't even know how much I needed... this." Meerkat flapped a paw at him, her smile more of fond smirk now. "I would like that. I feel like watching the sunset from the beach would be lovely. Maybe I'll swing by again in the next few weeks...?"

Hopefully she would be in a better mindset when the time came, though she refused to speculate any further about what might happen between now and then. In fact, Meerkat would force any romantic implications from this exchange out of her mind for now. She still had a lot of processing to do, without throwing her heart out there again so soon.

She gave him a brief nudge and departed with a final, fond, "I'll see you later, Njord."

There was an affable politeness between them. Njord felt they got on so well, how could there not be room for a romantic connection to bloom? When she suggested sunset watching, Njord shot her an impish smirk with squinted eyes as if to ask, are you thinking what I’m thinking?

He blinked it away and fell into an easy smile. “I can make that ‘appen,” Njord assured her with a wag of his tail. Even if they didn’t go the way of romance, he still cherished their friendship.

“I’ll be lookin’ forward to it. Safe travels, Meerkat!” he added as the sandy woman turned back towards Duskfire. He would watch her shrinking figure for a while, reflecting on their day together. He held these good moments close to his heart. He needed a day like today just as much and would think back on it during the dark days ahead.