Dragoncrest Cliffs walking around with them blue faces

It had been a day since sapphique had welcomed the new editions. It brought joy to the hearts of everyone, he imagined. He could not know for sure though. 
Hermes had kept away from the festivities (whether or not they were happening in the first place). Even now he sulked within the tunnel. All he could think of was his brother, and how he’d gone off on his own.

Only after returning to the cliffs did Meerkat realize she’d completely forgotten her original task. Running into the wolves next door had distracted her and now she was too tired to resume her search. Letting out a breath, she padded slowly inland from the beach, ultimately destined for the little den she shared with Njord.

She startled slightly when she came across a shadow in the tunnel. Squinting, Meerkat said, Hermes Vael, is that you? This first question was quickly followed by a second as her eyes adjusted and she saw his generally downtrodden demeanor. Hey, is something the matter?

Her whiskey colored eyes gently probed his face as she wondered, why did he look so bereft? She hadn’t spent much time with the pack’s yearlings—or anyone, really—since before her heat. Meerkat knew something had happened to Coraline recently. Maybe they were friends? Or perhaps he’d had an argument with his brother? She hoped he might confide in her.

The sound of his own name made Hermes jump. He turned backwards with his ears perked and fell back into a sit when he realized it was Meerkat.
Yes. Rarely did the boy attempt to hide his feelings, especially in a time of distress like this.
It’s Dionysus. He left to go look for our dads alone! He shook his head as he recalled his brother’s wild declaration.
I told him to stay. It’s too dangerous to go out there. Now especially with the intruders that loitered by their claim. Ugh, I knew he’d slip out when I wasn’t looking. I should’ve kept a closer eye on him.

“Yes,” he replied and then mentioned his brother by name. Meerkat held her breath, exhaling on a soft, sympathetic sigh when Hermes told her what Dionysus had done. She clicked her tongue but did not interrupt him, listening as he vented.

When he paused, Meerkat empathized, It’s not your fault, though I totally know how you feel. And in the past, she might’ve offered to help him search for his wayward sibling, but that just wasn’t possible these days. All she could really provide was a listening ear and some advice, if he wanted it.

She gazed at him for a moment, wondering if he might go after his brother at some point. Meerkat decided to go ahead and voice this question aloud. Are you thinking of going after him?

Really?  Was this a thing; were little brothers just prone to wandering off? Had he known that he would’ve been way more vigilant (much to the chagrin of Dionysus no doubt, though Hermes would be unaware).
Meerkat asked then if he planned on going after him. Well, yeah! Then hesitation slowly set in as he took the time to truly register what that entailed. Going out alone and far away from Sapphique. Knowing his brother he’d be halfway across the world right now. Hermes had never dared to go that far.
Well.. if he’s gone for too long I’m gonna have to.

Oh yeah, I can’t tell you how many times a family member has disappeared on me… Meerkat replied, though she neither wanted to dwell on such a point of pain from the past, nor keep the focus on herself.

Hermes reacted to her question as if it was the silliest one he’d ever heard. She took no offense at this, smiling softly in understanding. She could see the doubt creeping in after he said the words. Meerkat knew exactly how that revelation must feel.

I think you should consider staying put, in case he wanders back, she said with a nod, but if he doesn’t turn up in a few weeks, maybe ask someone to go out and search with you. It can be hard, finding someone out there in the vast wilderness, but it’s not impossible. It’s worth a try to ask around, though I still hope he just sorta shows up again.

She bit back a sigh, eyes lingering on the yearling’s face. Hoping to distract him a little, Meerkat wondered, Have you heard the news? Erzulie gave birth. A little boy and a little girl. Aminthe and Quennell are their names. What did Hermes make of Sapphique’s newborns, she wondered?

So it was a thing, and not just with little brothers by the sound of it. It’s a good thing Hermes didn’t have any other siblings, otherwise he would’ve gone mad running around trying to round them all up.
Meerkat then suggested he stay in the meantime. Wait a few weeks in the hopes that he’d turn up. If not, he should take someone on a search party. It wasn’t a bad idea, though the waiting part would be quite the hill to climb over. Hopefully he wouldn’t have to wait much longer.
He blinked at the sudden news, puzzled. Already!? He’d been so worried about his brother, Erzulie’s little pebble’s arrival had slipped his mind. 
His ears fell back as he realized; Now I gotta keep an eye on more kids. Hermes let out an exhausted sigh and let his shoulders fall.  Man… I hope they don’t run around as much as Dionysus.

Before she could stop it, a laugh burst out of her at Hermes’s remark. I’m sorry, she hastily apologized, raising a paw to her mouth. He looked rather genuinely crestfallen, after all. I feel that, Meerkat added with much more reservation, letting out a sympathetic sigh and moving her paw from her muzzle to pat gently at the boy’s shoulder.

She mused on his words for a moment longer before saying, But the thing is, most wolves do tend to run around a bit. I almost think it’s better to re-frame our perspective than hope against what’s oftentimes inevitable, you know? Meerkat had actually thought about this in regards to her own offspring, recollecting how much she’d hurt Towhee simply by leaving the nest. Obviously, that’s way easier said than done, because being left behind never feels good. And it’s harder when they don’t say goodbye… Again, she patted Hermes’s shoulder.

Her mind strayed to her future kids again. Meerkat had already made up her mind to raise them under the assumption they would disperse. It was her goal to prepare them for the world, make sure she gave them all the love and care a mother could possibly provide, as well as the tools for survival without her. Obviously, she would love it if her pups decided to stay close, but just in case, she wanted to prepare herself. One day soon, they would leave her womb. Someday beyond that, they might leave her side, with her bittersweet support.