Deepwood Weald two smokes

maybe an excursion? <3]

that day, @Marina took @Chagak and @Sea Hunter on a small journey to the place dutch had once kept as his own. peaceful, the land was too silent. he thought that the laughter of the boys might liven it, and sent them off to play among the dense trees as he turned toward his wife.
"something has kept him," he said with an exhale. "he would not be gone so long."
for her forehead, a kiss, lingering. he pulled away with a grin. "we should swim in his lake while he is gone!"

Yessss

He wouldn't, Marina agreed softly, and though her eyes promised more words on the matter, they were not for the ears of their sons who she still heard playing among the trees. So she obliged her husband with a warm smile and an easy laugh, a glimmer of hope for the implication that Dutch would return to them. Surely he would.

For now, Chakliux reminded her to live in the moment. Their family thrived; her health, too, though it was always so fleeting. There was so much to celebrate still. Marina ranged ahead of her husband with a daring smile, leading him with a practiced step which told wordlessly of her familiarity with this place. A familiarity she'd learned only in her search for Dutch — but she wouldn't think of that now.

seal hunter wife set the way; seal hunter followed, traveling on long legs easily after marina, head lifted to see all places of the land and how it fell around them.
he sighed; he did hope dutch returned to reclaim such. presently he caught up with marina, tugging playfully at her tail.
are you happy? he suddenly wanted to ask, taking instead his answer from her glowing eyes and the glimmer of her beautiful smile, which made his heart race with a quick galloping.