Dragoncrest Cliffs Windchime

Njord secretly followed Quenell and Swordfish’s pawprints, side by side, in the fresh snow for half a league. In many ways, he saw Merlin and himself in the youngsters – two complimentary personalities off on adventures together. Njord smiled to himself, happy his son had such a good friend.

Yet as he turned back towards the heart of Sapphique, he couldn’t help but feel a small ache in his chest for Meerkat. Would Swordfish soon disperse as Mercy had?

The pair hadn’t talked much since speaking with Mireille. The man did not know where his wife’s heart lay.

Eventually, he found her. Njord greeted @Meerkat with a soft kiss on her cheek. “I tracked tha lads through tha Tangle,” he informed her. “They’re movin’ at a good pace. They’ll be reachin’ Nova Peak by nightfall, I’d wager.”

She sat beside Glintwater Lake, gaze directed at the water but eyes unfocused. She only blinked them clear when Njord appeared beside her, his muzzle touching against her cheek. His nose was cold to the touch, though she leaned into the contact.

Meerkat managed a fleeting smile when he spoke of the boys and their travels, though she didn’t say anything right away. Her eyes drifted to her husband’s face, lingering heavily there, wondering if he knew the son he shadowed didn’t feel any love for him.

She bit at her lip, gaze dropping to her feet before bouncing upward again as Meerkat finally found her voice and said, I’m so glad they went together. Even though I think we did our best to raise them to be self-sufficient, it still makes me feel a lot better, knowing Fish isn’t by himself. Quen too, of course.

Her mind turned to Mercy, of course it did. Hopefully their daughter wasn’t alone, either. Maybe she’d found some companionship out there on the road. Perhaps she’d even come across a pack and settled there. Meerkat could only hope what she always did: that, wherever she was, Mercy was happy, healthy and safe.

“Aye,” Njord agreed. He could feel his wife’s weighty gaze and took a seat beside her, unaware of the true reason behind it. “Quennell’s a good lad. Tha boys will be lookin’ out for one another. Keep ‘em both safe,” he assured with a stout bob of the head.

“Quennell reminds me of m’friend Merlin,” he reminisced with a small laugh. “They ‘av the same gutsy way about ‘em. Swordfish is more…” the father’s voice drawled in thought as an expression of warm admiration appeared on his face. “Thoughtful. Observant… Exact.” He recalled the precise way his son had hunted. “They’re like two sides of a jetty,” he concluded with a small chuckle.

Njord allowed a lull of silence to pass between them.

When he spoke again, Njord’s voice was soft. “I think things are gettin’ better,” he observed aloud. “Mendin’.” His lips bent into a gently curved smile.

She listened closely but did not say anything as Njord spoke of his friend, who shared similarities with Quennell, then drew comparisons between the young boys and seascapes. Meerkat couldn’t help but think about her recent conversation with Swordfish again.

But then her husband’s next words drew a sharp glance and a skip in her heartbeat, along with a quiet, Yeah? she hadn’t intended to speak at all.

Her eyes traced over the curve of his smile before flicking up to look deeply into his. She drew in a breath, hoping he would elaborate with specifics. She had tried not thinking about the future too much lately, though these seven simple words made hope flare through her, clear and bright.

“Mmm,” Njord hummed in affirmation. Their eyes met and the seafarer regarded Meerkat for a long while. A small laugh - barely a hitch - jumped from his chest as he reflected on the past season together. His thoughts found their way to his tongue and became words.

“Sometimes… I feel as if I am tha sea an’ you tha shore,” he explained metaphorically. “Without ye… I wouldnae ken tha beach, sand, or sun.” For what would the sea’s life be like without knowing land? Vast and empty.

Njord slowly blinked and got himself back on the rails.

“Tha lads an’ I ‘av been spendin’ time ta’gether. Findin’ our way. The others…” Njord made a gesture as if to group Sapphique’s adults together. “We ‘av made amends. Found peace.” Njord looked to the distant treeline of Glintwater. “We are hale ‘an hearty. Safe. I count m’blessings daily.”

He turned back to his wife, smiling optimistically. “Tha wounds havenae closed but… it’s healin’. I feel it.” And, hopefully, Meerkat did too.

She laughed through her nose and told him, You’re very poetic today, with all the fondness in the world.

Otherwise, Meerkat once more remained silent as she let her husband speak. She let herself attach to the feeling of hope as it buoyed her upward like a great big balloon, breaking through clouds and emerging in blue skies and sunshine. She chortled and blamed Njord when she noticed the elegiac nature of her thoughts.

I’m happy to hear that, she murmured simply, shifting closer and leaning into him.

That took care of one lingering worry in her mind. There was still the matter of resources. Even a pack as strong as Sapphique couldn’t support countless puppies. She still thought there was merit to the idea to split, though Chacal had distinctly said now was not the time. And she would have to defer such decisions to leadership.

Speaking of the boys, do you think we should talk to them about siblings in spring? I haven’t brought it up with either of them yet, Meerkat said, leaning away to look into Njord’s eye.

She’d avoided the topic because of her own internal conflicts and fears. But so long as Njord was here when the time came, Meerkat would stop at nothing for the chance to bear more children. She hoped her sons would embrace their younger brothers and sisters, thought what if Ray and Fish had qualms? It may not change their plans, yet she still wanted to acknowledge and include their older children as they continued to build their family.

When Meerkat leaned against him, Njord pressed back – the two of them teepeed like boughs of pine. His chin brushed the crown of her head as a small sigh of satisfaction exhaled, happy that his wife was happy.

It pleased him when Meerkat turned her mind towards the future season and their family. To be forward-looking felt like the right path to be on.

“That’s a sensible notion,” Njord drawled in his rolling brogue as he let the idea percolate. After a beat he responded, “Aye, we should speak with our lads. Tae not be included will hurt ‘em, I ken. Even more if they dinnae agree with tha idea.”

He paused a moment as he easily recalled how he had hurt Sobo by not including him in the wedding. “An’ that is somethin’ we should prepare our hearts for too – them nae agreein’,” he cautioned her. Njord couldn’t help but chuckle as he recalled the days of being young and hot-headed. “Och, tae be young,” he ended whimsically.

Suddenly, Njord couldn't hold back a crafty grin. "I caught Quennell in the sea tunnel with a young lassie the other week," he gossiped with a raised brow. Love was certainly in the air.

She would never take this for granted: the way they could echo one another’s thoughts so effortlessly. Meerkat bobbed her head in acknowledgement, her cheek rubbing against the jut of his shoulder blade. It was a tiny bit uncomfortable, so she reluctantly sat up a bit straighter as she considered her response.

I know. I don’t think it will change anything, for me, she admitted very quietly, chewing at her lip and seeking her husband’s eye again. Did he feel the same? It’s our decision, though it would mean so much to me if they supported it. If they don’t, well… all we can do is make sure we listen to their concerns and do our best to field them, I suppose.

It was a heavy thought, one that threatened to poke a pinhole in her balloon and let it sink back beneath the murk of darker, cloudier thoughts. But before it could, Njord changed the subject. A little snort of surprise escaped her as Meerkat leaned in again, more conspiratorially this time, their noses nearly touching.

Oh yeah? Who was the young lady? And what exactly did you catch them doing? she whispered, brows arching and lips curling.

Njord nodded and hummed in agreement. He admired Meerkat’s way and her natural abilities as a coach and parent. She made balance look effortless – something her other half still studied.

She booped his snoot. It only made Njord’s eyes squint more impishly.

“She called ‘erself Lilia from Redtail Rise,” he said with a hearty roll of his r’s. “Quennell was supposed tae be guidin’ ‘er towards tha coast. Show her tha whale… I suppose they went into tha dark tunnel before they couldnae ‘elp but canoodle ta’gether.” Njord stifled a chuckle.

“I could hear ‘em movin’ about and he wasnae givin’ her wee nips,” his voice raised, incredulous. Suddenly, he dramatically wrapped a paw around Meerkat’s neck and attacked her face with sloppy kisses as if they were straight out of a Twilight movie.

He leaned back and admired his work: the hair on one side of Meerkat’s face was completely disheveled.

She pursed her lips when he named Redtail Rise. It made her think of that chance encounter with the man near the ravine over the summer. Prophet, she remembered, recalling the way they’d shouted over the chasm. “The rise has seen growth in children. We remain strong…”

I wonder if she’s one of Avicus’s, Meerkat murmured thoughtfully before a particular word Njord used caught the entirety of her attention. Canoodling? she repeated with an incredulous laugh. What does that me— she went to ask, voice cutting off when her husband abruptly put her in a loose headlock.

He proceeded to smooch her face while Meerkat halfheartedly squirmed and wholeheartedly laughed. Njord let go of her soon enough, straightening and gazing at her in abject admiration. Her cheeks flushed beneath her pale fur as she continued chuckling and shook her head.

Is that what you meant by canoodling? she joshed. I was hoping it only meant that and nothing like… Meerkat continued, nipping at her husband’s jaw, down his neck toward his shoulder, then smoothing her nose down the ladder of his ribs to the thin skin where hip met thigh. This, she murmured, eyes dancing right before she pressed her teeth into his buttock.

Njord laughed from the belly together with his wife. It was a good look on her!

“Well ye see…” Njord began with the intention to define canoodling. That was, until her coy demeanor and flirtatious ministrations completely distracted him.

Njord’s red tail wagged. And the tempo increased as she charted a course further and further down!

His good ear cupped forward in anticipation – until her teeth went into his rump.

“Christ!” Njord yelped.

The sensation of pain was so opposite of arousal Njord immediately dropped to the ground, tail between his legs. “Sanctuary!” Njord begged melodramatically.

She huffed a laugh as her husband promptly dropped down and begged for mercy. Meerkat stood over him and struck an imperious pose, the fur on half her face still unkempt.

I was trying to start something with you, you know, she told him with a laugh and eyebrow wiggle, but what I really think we should do is go find Ray and talk to him. We’ll have to catch Fish after he gets back.

It would probably be better to talk to them singly anyway, she thought with a little bob of her head as she held out a foreleg to help Njord back to his feet.

Njord felt a shadow and opened his eyes to see Meerkat standing over him.

A tingle down his spine… The seafarer liked it. It was kinda hot!

“Oh, yoo’ve started somethin’ alright,” Njord jeered. Instead of taking Meerkat’s extended hand, he wrapped his long arms around her neck and pulled his wife down against his chest. Then, Njord did a stop-drop-and-roll maneuver. Suddenly, he was back on top.

Njord planted a big smooch on her cheek. “Hah, catch Fish… that’s a canny one!” he laughed.

Such bliss. This would be a happy memory to look back on in the coming weeks.

“Alright, my love. Let’s go track down Ray,” Njord agreed as he stepped to the side and offered a hand, as Meerkat had just done.

He reached up and took her in a second headlock. Meerkat let out a token squeal or two as he tugged her to himself and then rolled them. He loomed over her now, planting a kiss on her cheek and then laughing as he dismounted. She couldn’t help but grin, her mercurial mood from earlier effectively disarmed by her husband’s charm.

Njord offered her a leg up and she hoisted back onto her feet with a little grunt. Meerkat took a moment to run a paw over her face to right her mussy fur, then glanced over herself to make sure she looked otherwise presentable.

Don’t want to look like we were just canoodling when we find our son, Meerkat explained.

Eyes dancing, she bumped her slight shoulder against her husband’s broader one, then slipped eastward toward the tunnel’s mouth at the far edge of the woods lining the lake. She planned to start at the beach, then move inland. If it came down to it, they could always call for @Stingray directly, though roving Sapphique together was half the fun.

I figured I’d tag for visibility, in case Ray wants to jump in here or we want to assume they spoke behind the scenes. Whatever works! :)

Stingray would be there, bobbing in the surf, as he so often was.

Today he was watching some manner of fish beneath the waves, undulating with the rhythm of the sea and threatening to slip out of sight each time a swell lifted the portly boy away from it. He always found it again, some inky black thing that stood out against the dark sea floor, but it was still as a stone. Maybe it was dead.

Wait! he thought with a start when all of a sudden it unfurled and jetted away. Was that... Did that thing have a bunch of long, wriggly legs?! He paddled after it, but it was no use. That thing was fast!

He was emerging onto the shore when Meerkat and Njord came into sight. Stingray spotted them and gave himself a jubilant shake before bounding toward them, tongue lolling and damp fur just as mussed up as the side of his mother's face. He'd never say no to hanging out with him if they didn't mind his company, especially now that Swordfish was out having an adventure.

Njord meandered with Meerkat like two butterflies in a garden until they spotted Stingray frolicking in the surf. It brought joy to the islander to see his son so familiar with the sea and all its things. He chuckled a deep laugh at the sight of his shaken golden coat. Stingray’s fur spiked this way and that until he looked less like his namesake and more like a pufferfish.

“Stingray, lad,” Njord said after they all quieted down, “Yer mother an’ I have somethin’ important tae ask of ye.” He glanced at Meerkat with a warm expression. Placed a paw onto hers. “Come springtime we’ll have a challengin’ responsibility for ye... as a Big Brother to new bairns in tha family," he said the words with gravitas. "Wee brothers an’ sisters tae help love, protect, an’ teach. We trust you with this.” Njord’s expression was soft. Fatherly. “D’ye think ye can help us with that, son?”

As much as she enjoyed the quality time with her spouse, her eyes sparkled when the two of them found their way to the beach and Meerkat saw Stingray swimming in the surf. She glanced at Njord, who looked just as pleased, and then just watched their son for a moment. Sometimes, she loved her children so much, it made her ache.

Eventually, Ray noticed his parents standing there on the sand, probably looking like a pair of lovesick puppy dogs. He bounded out of the shallows, shaking out his golden pelt. Nevertheless, a puddle began to form beneath him, so Meerkat couldn’t quite help herself when she stepped in to fuss over him. Let his father take point, she would work on drying Ray’s coat so he wouldn’t catch a chill.

Her ears pricked toward Njord’s brogue as he broached the topic of older brotherhood to Stingray. Meerkat kept busy fastidiously brushing his damp coat, letting their son react in whatever way he would. Her heart thumped in anxious anticipation with every pass of her tongue along the salty strands of sunshine making up Ray’s pelt.

Ma! Stingray scolded when Meerkat swept in to save him from his wet fur, but he made no effort to pull away. In fact, he leaned lightly into his mother's affection with a quiet sound of contentment in his throat. He didn't think he'd ever tire of his family being the loving variety.

He honed his attention to a fine focus when Njord announced an important task. For him? Hell yeah! He was prepared to agree to it before even hearing what it was. His eyes dropped to Njord's paw enveloping his mother's. Whatever remaining misgivings Stingray might harbour about his father's previous absence, specifically the effect on his poor mum, disappeared then and there.

Oh, yeah! said Stingray, lifting his wet tail in a wag that caused the tip to thump against his mother's round flank. Little siblings? Awesome! You can count on me, I'll be the best big bro ever! And if he wasn't, well, they'd chase him off to start his own life somewhere else, as was the way of the wolf. The promise of little siblings who might look up to him ignited his competitive nature; he would be the best big brother they, and all of Sapphique, had ever seen!

Last from me!

Njord placed no expectation on Stingray’s reaction. His heart was prepared either way and the man knew, no matter the response, that it would not diminish his opinion of his son. Though their relationship was gaining steam, it would not be surprising if the sunny boy balked at the idea of adding more children into their family picture… Njord had learned, through Sobo, that you could absolutely not control or manipulate, no matter your will, the reactions of others.

Yet Stingray’s response was as radiant as the afternoon sun. He glowed at the idea of being a big brother to new littles and all the responsibilities that came with it. A fresh wave of warm affection renewed Njord’s smile. “Ah’m proud of ye for wantin’ tae step up,” the seafarer commended his son. Suddenly, Njord felt very much like his own father – serene, hearty, and stoic. “They’ll be lucky lads an’ lassies tae have ye as their older brother.”

Njord’s happy gaze met Meerkat’s as she tended to Stingray’s pelt as if celebrating a mini-victory or milestone. Their family unit was becoming more closely knit… and as soon as Swordfish returned, they would have this talk with him as well.

Well, at least that was the intention… Nature, and her bears, had other plans.

She hoped for the best and prepared for the worst, knowing her love for her children, born and unborn, would remain steady no matter what. Despite bracing herself, Ray’s exuberant response brought tears to her eyes. Unwilling to wet her son’s freshly dried and groomed pelt, she took a step back.

Yes, she breathed, you will.

That was all she managed to say, as Njord gave their son the proverbial pat on the back. Meerkat swallowed, feeling impossibly happy and hopeful in this moment. Especially with the blessings of Chacal and Mireille as well, then she would want for nothing if Swordfish reacted half so well as his brother!

This’ll be my last as well. Feel free to wrap and/or archive, Chelsie! :)