Dragoncrest Cliffs ae dilla marjaaniyaan

The upward curl of his crimson tail dragged the both of them out of their respective afflictions. Although her muscles were still ticking like a cooling engine after her gallop here, she swiftly bounded after Njord as he led her deeper into the lowlands, past the formidable stretch of The Tangle. The snarled woods dropped behind the pair as they veered slightly left, crossing a small stream and arriving at the edge of a marsh.

His mention of Erzulie made her think of the day back in May when the leader had offered her den to Meerkat. Much of that era was a painful blur in the yearling's mind, so she could safely say she barely remembered seeing any of Sapphique's sights. What she did remember was Erzulie's generosity and kindness, Njord's too.

She blinked back to the present day as her tour guide led her northeast now, the earth sloping underfoot. Meerkat regarded the barrier of pines for a moment, marveling at finding evergreens growing this near the coastline. Soon they veered away toward a small clearing with one solitary tree, starkly contrasting Greatpine. She could easily picture Njord napping beneath the tree as he described it, luxuriating on a carpet of soft, purple flowers.

As they moved eastward now, Meerkat glanced at the stony den with a flicker of faint recognition, or so she thought. But then they came to a great span of sparkling water and stopped. She wondered if it was fresh and dipped down to sniff at the surface. She didn't take a drink, instead straightening out and smiling over at Njord's question. It hit her right then that he'd pretty much wiped out her troubled thoughts and feelings from earlier.

"Speaking as a total touring authority," Meerkat replied, "you're doing, eh..." She held up a paw and seesawed it back and forth, then set it on the ground with a laugh. "I'm kidding. You're doing great. No, you're doing bonnie!" She didn't want to burden him with her woes, so she couldn't explain just how much he'd lifted her spirits. But maybe it shone in her warm gaze.

"Won't that take a while? I mean, I'm not in any hurry or anything, I just don't want you to feel like you need to spend all that time procuring lunch. I'm actually not that hungry," Meerkat admitted. "But you know what I do want?" she said in the next breath. "To see that private beach! Unless it's restricted?" She voiced the thought even as it occurred to her and, suddenly, she felt a little crestfallen.