Nova Peak even in a hurricane of frowns

She'd suffered losses, including parental figures in both Neema and Kaertok. Still, Meerkat couldn't fully comprehend what it'd be like to lose her mom. Her wan features pinched with sympathy. Avi's mother had died violently at the hands of others who were still at large. That was one harrowing story.

Before she could muster up a comment, Avi once more pressed her about her whereabouts. In response to the first question, she turned her upper body and motioned at the glacier to the southeast of Nova Peak. When she straightened again, she bit back a sigh.

"I'm not sure," Meerkat admitted. She paused for several seconds as she deliberated what to share, what to keep close to the vest. "I'm kind of seeing someone from Sapphique, so it may make sense to go there instead. But it's still pretty new and it'll be hard to leave the glacier. Not just the land." Not that she had much of a choice. "The wolves. Mostly the younger ones. I'm their coach."

As she spoke of them, she thought about the pack's gang of adolescents. She hadn't spent a whole lot of time with them lately. Most of them had gone scouting with Issorartuyok recently, hadn't they? Her chest ached. She'd brought him to the glacier and even introduced him to those kids. And now there wasn't room left for her.

Her own words chose that moment to come back and haunt her. "I didn't mean to catch feelings. It just makes everything so complicated and messy." Meerkat hated that she'd proven herself right on that front. She sagged a little, rubbing at one eye, feeling suddenly exhausted again.