Dragoncrest Cliffs shaped by clearest blue

The skies were clear and expansively blue this afternoon, the sun radiating a pleasant warmth on the wilderness below. Meerkat would’ve said it was the perfect day, except for the wind. When she stepped outside for a break after lunching and resting, it nearly knocked her off her feet. She let out a huff of surprised laughter as it tugged her fur into whorls. She swiveled to face into it, her ears flattening to her skull. It died down after a moment, only to press in again, smelling of flowers and sea salt. It stole the breath right out of her mouth but she grinned anyway.

She felt rather tousled when she stepped back inside the den a few moments later and likely looked the part too. Huffing quietly, the young mother tiptoed toward her sleeping puppies and, with practiced ease, slipped to the earthen floor to curl around them. Meerkat resisted the temptation to nuzzle them, lest she wake them. They were growing so fast, they needed their sleep. She would just admire them in the blue dim of the den, tucking her feet up under her chest and smiling softly.

Pour @Mercy, although anyone is welcome.

wanted to scoop in here! <3

today she had found a bouquet of seasprung wildflowers.

well, made a bouquet. the sweetest smelling ones she could find and a few she tested upon her own tongue to make sure the babes would be okay. anyone may have assumed that jorunn carried such a thing for the obsidian, but it was another woman on her mind today.

meerkat.

the smell of her and her children (and their father!) was an easy trail to follow. the bouquet a splash of color against the sandy toned sapphire. she hoped the shadow she casted along the den entrance was enough sign of an arrival, so that she would not wake the sleeping babes.

merci beaucoup!

the two wolves returning in such quick succession was enough to stir mercy from her slumber.  she did not wail; instead, a floral scent caught her nose, and she was immediately captured by the burst of color.  she cast a glance at her mother, then rose to her feet, bobbing her head at the sight.

When a shadow darkened her doorstep, accompanied by a burst of floral scent, Meerkat quickly stood to usher the visitor inside. Come in before the wind blows it all away, she whispered laughingly, squeezing to the burrow’s rear to make space. Njord was out patrolling at the moment, so at least there was a little spare room for a guest.

Her eyes quickly cut to the children, hoping their nap hadn’t been disturbed. The boys continued snoozing peacefully for the moment, though little Mercy had raised her head and opened her sleepy little eyes. As she pushed onto her wobbly legs, Meerkat swept down beside her with a croon, planting a delicate smooch on the baby’s cheek.

This is Jorunn. She’s a friend of ours. Look what she brought, Meerkat said quietly. She knew the pups wouldn’t understand, that perhaps they couldn’t even properly hear yet, but that hadn’t stopped her from talking to them from day one. Jorunn, this is Vixen, though we’ve been playfully calling her Mercy, as in, ‘please have mercy on us,’ the mother said with a chuckle.

at acceptance of both mother and child, jorunn found her way inside. a smile as her grip on the flowers. although the grip was soon softened to set down the flowers.

the child who greeted her was, without a doubt, a beautiful combination of mother and father. her heart grew two sizes.

hello, vixen, she hummed sweetly, reclining some to be in a better position, practically a windshield for the den. you must be kind with sjømor. a stage whisper, low and but loud enough to be heard by the dear meerkat.

she is beautiful, jorunn would declare to meerkat. although she doubted there were any questions or doubts about the children's appearance.

jorunn would pluck up one of the flowers from the bundle and gently dragged it along the ground, wondering if the child had hunter's instinct yet.

Mercy is an NPC for now, so I thought I’d keep this going.

Although the pups were barely old enough to coordinate their movements in any meaningful way, Mercy did appear intrigued by the solitary bloom Jorunn selected and dragged along the earthen floor of the den. Meerkat watched in silence. It was such a small moment, yet she knew it was crucial to her child’s development on multiple levels.

But being so young, neither her interest nor her consciousness ever lasted very long. Moments later, Meerkat was tucking the sleepy baby to her breast again beside her brothers. It was always tempting to nap with them, though she would not see Jorunn leave so soon. Much as she adored her husband and children, she could use the companionship and conversation.

How are things with you, Jorunn? Meerkat asked.

the sight stirred something within her, deep and longing. quickly tucked away in favor of socializing with the new mother instead.

they are very good, some sort of meek look on her face. eyes shining softly. i have found a...place, a path. it is good. she breathed easier these days, not so tense with the new unraveling of her personal life.

i should thank you.

a warm smile.

Thank me? Meerkat echoed, touched but confused. What for? Tell me about this path, she added, that particular word making her think briefly of Sialuk.

But soon her mind turned back to a previous encounter with Jorunn, their first, and she guessed, Is it a woman? Her lips curved into a smile, hoping she was right even as she thirsted for more details.

jorunn became flustered, trying her best to not bubble with laughter too loud.

maybe! she teased coyly. it is too early to say much, she confided in, truthful despite her earlier playfulness.

but i have found myself...livings! like yours, so i think i should thank you. you have changed my life. and perhaps that was too much to say or too heavy, but she did mean it. meerkat had been an impactful force upon jorunn.

Mysterious, Meerkat commented, holding her tongue against pressing Jorunn when she clearly wasn’t ready to divulge details yet.

She still wasn’t quite certain what she’d done to deserve such high praise, though she knew that something as simple as a conversation could be very meaningful. It seemed hers with Jorunn had left such an impression. As a counselor, she was glad of it. It warmed her.

I’m happy for you, Jorunn, she said sincerely. You know, as much as I appreciate these, she added, gesturing to the spray of wildflowers, maybe you should leave a few and take the rest to someone else who’ll appreciate them a little more than these little bairns, Meerkat suggested with a wink.

jorunn was indeed mysterious!

yet she did fear of speaking too soon, as if that might suddenly whisk away the affections of erzulie. as if she had only dared to dalliance for the mere mystery of it all.

they are for you as much as they are the bairns, she teased back with a grin, nosing around the flowers she had brought. it will be nice to see you — them — out in sapphique. she did miss the usually sunshiny appearance of meerkat around the beach. however there was no denying her continued radiance here.

In that case, she wouldn’t insist. Meerkat smiled indulgently at the woman, her lovely gift and her lovelier words.

Her attention inevitably drifted to the slumbering pups. She both wanted to savor this brief time when they were bound so tightly to her, and take them out into the world, show them off and show them everything it had to offer them.

Can you believe that in about two months, they’ll be grown enough to move to the rendezvous site? Meerkat mused. I find it hard to imagine, when they’re so small…

And right now, they were so very dependent on her. When Mercy stirred again and began to cry, Meerkat swiftly sought to comfort her daughter. It took some coaxing before the colicky baby accepted a teat. It was hard to imagine that it was only a matter of weeks before she and her brothers would be eating meat, walking steadily on all fours, growing into independent individuals…

Think I’ll wake the boys, feed them too. Sorry in advance for any screaming, Meerkat said for Jorunn’s benefit, not minding if the she-wolf would like to stay but also understanding if she chose that moment to leave the young mother to it.

fade? :D <3

they will grow like weeds before our eyes, her features warm and radiant for such a thought. so many children would be toddling around! sapphique would find itself busy chasing after them all in due time.

but it seemed it was time for the still small babes to feed.

i will visit again, but do not wait to call if you need. even for a chat. adoration in her eyes as she glimpsed upon the mother and her children. such a magical moment she had been invited in to see.

Jorunn opted to give Meerkat her privacy, though not without promising companionship as needed. The young mother shot her a grateful grin and a nod.

Thank you for visiting, and for the flowers, she said, watching Jorunn step out of the small burrow before stretching out to feed her growing babes.