Moonspear spring showers

Njord returned to the Sveijarn-Corten den from his morning hunt. He had been victorious and a fat rabbit would become @Meerkat’s breakfast… and perhaps provide the girls a taste of meat, too. Soon, they would be weaned altogether. Had time really flown by that quickly?

“Ah’m ‘here tae repieve ye, mo ghraidh,” Njord said in a sing-song voice as he entered the den – but the tail end of his words became hushed when he saw that Seal and Orca were still asleep.

Njord delivered the bounty to his wife and lay beside her as he prepared to swap babysitting duties. Yet, before Meerkat could go he asked “yer sister, Fennec. Did ye speak with her?” Curiosity had tickled the redtail’s mind. It had been an unexpected welcome to receive Meerkat’s relatives into Moonspear, though his wife appeared to harbor mixed feelings about it all.

Meerkat had finished giving herself a bath when Njord stepped into the ulaq and presented her with a fat rabbit. She kissed his snout and laid a damp foreleg over the carcass, pondering whether to eat it here or perhaps take it elsewhere to enjoy a quiet breakfast. She looked speculatively at the pups, though they were fast asleep and she was loath to wake them.

Her husband’s question captured her attention. Her brow furrowed as she thought of Fennec. They’d seen one another in passing since their reunion but there had no further attempts to converse just yet. Every time Meerkat considered it, she heard Fen’s voice saying, “You really don’t need to do that.”

I tried, she said to Njord, a dejected look drifting across her face, but I’m not sure she wants anything to do with me. It’s as if… I couldn’t seem to say the right thing. I told her our door’s open to her but, well, Fennec hadn’t come by, as far as she knew. But Killdeer has been great, she added in the next breath, fondness warming her amber eyes.

Njord listened to his partner carefully and studied her expressions. By the way Meerkat’s brows knit, he could tell his hunch was correct. Though Njord didn't want to pry or offer unsolicited advice, the man was sensitive to disordered family relationships. The silver lining, at least, was that Fennec’s son seemed open and agreeable.

“That is all tha world can ask of ye,” Njord assured Meerkat. “If she wishes tae cross tha bridge ye built, then she will do it.”

Njord’s eyes passed over their daughters and listened to the quiet cadence of his breath. He smiled briefly, and then it faded.

“Ah havenae seen @Quennell,” Njord admittedly sadly. “@Chakliux went on patrol lookin’ for tha lad, but there wasnae a sign of ‘im.” This thought cascaded. “Stingray, Swordfish, an’ Mercy turned a year not long ago,” the man said with a hollow, joyless tone as he missed his son and daughter. Njord wondered if they would ever look for Fish again. “Rodyn an’ Samani ‘av settled on tha coast. Ah was thinkin’ of bringin’ Stingray on an ambassador mission tae Moontide. Tae celebrate his age.” There was a subtle hesitancy in this suggestion, and for good reason.

She nodded at his wise words, sighing through her nose. Next came bad news about Quennell, corroborating what Chakliux had already told her. Meerkat’s eyes went glassy as she thought of their last conversation. “I am angry. At myself. At everyone.” Those words had already bothered her. Now they would haunt her, along with the boy’s mentions of Shardik.

It made her think of Swordfish, of course it did. Meerkat still called for him, though not every day anymore. As she sat there and thought of their son, a heavy feeling crept over her. What if he hadn’t wanted to be found? What if Quennell hadn’t wanted that either? Meerkat could barely comprehend the thought, though she couldn’t make sense of Quennell’s inability to heal, either. It made her feel so helpless…

Njord’s talk of taking Stingray on on a mission to visit Moontide scattered her darkening thoughts. If they were going somewhere, Meerkat wanted to go with them. But what if her husband would prefer to bond with their son? And what of their daughters? She glanced at them. Surely Chakliux and Nasamik wouldn’t mind looking after them, though would Meerkat want to leave them for several days?

She drew in a breath and locked eyes with Njord to ask, How long would you plan to be away?

Njord could see he had inadvertently cast dark sensations within his wife’s spirit. Though part of him was sorry for this, the selfish part of him was grateful to have someone to share them with – so he may not carry everything alone.

He kissed his wife on the cheek apologetically. These days were filled with happiness: the Spring weather was beautiful, the Earth was in bloom, Moonspear was thriving, and they had two beautiful daughters added to their little clan. It was Njord’s burden to carry past darkness into this fresh season... however, he wished to rid himself of it.

A roll of his shoulders released the tension in his body. “Ahmm,” he mulled it over. “Five moons?” Njord guesstimated. “’Tis about two days travel to the coast, though Ah’m nae certain which territory they claimed.” His gaze held Meerkat’s gaze and suddenly felt like he owed her an explanation.

“Feels like ah’m still makin’ up for lost time with our @Stingray … He’s turnin’ into a braw young man, but ah’ve been feelin’, lately, that he’s been walkin’ this path alone.” Njord ruminated on the tales Chakliux had regaled – crossing the precipice from boy to man. “Ah’m loathe tae leave you, though. An’ tha girls,” he admitted sincerely. Njord’s ears turned towards Meerkat to telegraph he was open to her thoughts or opinions.

The instant he answered, Meerkat knew she couldn’t accompany them. There was no way she would leave the girls for that long. Besides, he explained how he wanted to seize this opportunity to spend some time with Ray one-on-one, as she’d suspected he might. Meerkat chewed at her lip.

We’ll be okay. @Sialuk and @Nasamik can help me look after the girls, Meerkat said, inferring her blessing, which she clarified. I know I’ve said in the past that I don’t want you going anywhere without me. But we’re in a better place now, Njord. And I trust you. I know you and Ray will cherish your time together and then come home to us.

Meerkat’s lip chewing was his wife’s tell and Njord understood, then, that she was processing complex feelings about it all. Yet, despite this, she obliged him… and Njord felt a tightness within his chest relax, happy that they had grown beyond the fearful chapter in their life’s book. It was true – they had a loving village to help in his absence. It provided new freedom and trust, which had always felt like a scarce resource in the past.

Njord nodded sternly. Stoicly. He was thankful and did not take Meerkat’s faith in him for granted. “Ah appreciate ye sayin’ these words,” he told her. Saying them made them real.

His voice became quiet, then, and his gaze fell to their girls once more. “Ah dinnae wish tae repeat past mistakes,” he explained, alluding to his absentee-father relationship with their boys and his great failure by Sobo. This was his way of attempting to self-correct.

Then, Njord cleared his throat. “Rodyn came bearin’ gifts fer Moonspear his last visit. Perhaps Stingray an’ I can bring ‘im and ‘is bride somethin’ as well. Who knows, perhaps they ‘av wee bairns of their own by now…” he smiled fondly.

You won’t, she said with understated confidence, their eyes meeting and holding.

Now the conversation turned to the lighter side of this intended voyage. Meerkat’s eyes cut to the windchime still dangling from one of the tree’s supporting roots. She then looked thoughtfully to Njord, wondering what she could send with him and their son.

Ah, we should consult with @Alaric. Maybe he could give us a skin pouch to take to them… maybe even filled with some safe medicines and/or some teething toys you could take in case they do have young ones, Meerkat posited, looking to her husband’s face to see what he thought.

Maybe we’ll tag everybody in the pack in the course of this thread, lmao.

“My wife is a canny woman,” he observed aloud with a grin. “Tis a bonnie idea… Ah’ve yet tae learn how to craft such things. Seems like all villagers of Moonspear are traders. Perhaps, in time, ah will become a gran one, as well. Stingray, too.”

Njord glanced up at their songmaker, admiring it.

Then, he clucked his tongue when he realized Meerkat hadn’t so much as touched the rabbit. “Ah’ve kept ye too long, love. Why don’t ye ‘av yerself a quiet lunch. I’ll keep an eye on our lassies.” Njord hunkered down at the mouth of the den and prepared to keep watch.

I wouldn’t mind learning some craftwork, Meerkat posited, though it was far from necessary, with all the skilled folks already in the village.

When Njord reminded her of her meal, she glanced down at the rabbit still tucked neatly underneath her foreleg and then grinned up at him. She pushed onto all fours, shaking herself lightly but trying to be quiet about it so she wouldn’t disturb the pups.

I think I’ll go enjoy this in the sunshine near Narwhal’s cairn, she thought aloud, pecking her husband on the cheek. Be back soon, she promised before plucking up her breakfast and hanging a left out the ulaq door.