Swiftcurrent Creek Fear of Sleep

As her pronouncement met his ears, Njal gave a subtle nod of acquiesence. The loyalty he held for Fox was nearly insurmountable, but she was absent now. Her choices had led the creek wolves in to a strange and dangerous situation - and for what? To prove who had a stronger will? Njal had defended her as best he could, followed through with her orders, but there was only so much aid he could give to the young leader. In discovering that she was in fact gone (without a trace despite his greatest efforts in the contrary), his mind had churned out all sorts of scenarios; everything led back to the Sveijarn family, though. What would happen to them? I won't let anything happen to them, he had decided - even prior to their birth, Njal was devoted to their protection. There was only so much of Fox's antics that even her most loyal of followers could put up with.

"I'm not sure," Tuwawi responded with the briefest of looks, and in her gaze Njal saw the answer that neither of them wished to voice. "All I know... Is that I do not want to run below Fox any longer." That much they could agree on. Everything depended on how the next few days panned out, but... Could they really put their children at further risk by waiting? The warden sighed as softly as he could, wanting nothing more than the peace of the moment to continue unabated. The sound of his breath was enough to spook a flying dutchman in to skittering across the river shallows, leaving behind a trail of tiny ripples - something he caught in his eye, but paid little attention to. If Fox was truly gone, someone would step up to take her place. Surely those that would follow her had already felt their loyalties splintering, as he did. And would he choose to follow the replacement? The man shifted his weight, his tail dragging against the grass as it dusted across the tips of the reeds; he was undecided and nearly overwhelmed with the choice that lay before them.

"Fox is gone." His gloomy voice did not hold the ambition of his wife, hardly igniting with the same fire. The mountain did not like to make rash decisions. "This place is unsafe, it is leaderless, and I do not think I can follow another child." But if the two lovebirds were to depart then... They would be akin to children themselves, setting out to make a new home, a fresh start. Njal had never led before - his tenure as Beta had lasted for such a brief amount of time - and he wondered, silently, if anyone would deign to follow them.

The mountain turned to regard the flickering flame beside him, lazily reaching out to nibble at the crimson fur at the base of one ear; affection shared with her, and her alone. "We might have to wait for the children to be bigger and stronger, so they can travel. Or... I could speak to Bazi. Since she is the only leader left." Still, he held his doubts. Bazi had been thrust in to an Alphaship because of Fox's absence, and while he believed in her abilities and was justly loyal to the girl, it was a lot of responsibility. "Maybe she would lend us aid in finding a safe place to move. We wouldn't keep any of the creek wolves after the trip came to an end - I do not want to weaken them in any manner -" Njal pulled back slightly and watched Tuwawi's gaze, searching for answers, for some kind of response. "But without help I don't think we can do anything yet."