Dragoncrest Cliffs this guy plays football, but i once won the whole superbowl by myself

So far, Stingray was unaffected by the length of Njord's absence.

He believed wholeheartedly that his father was still visiting his family in Meares and would be home soon, and it just took longer than everyone thought it would. Ray himself was late to dinner all the time, so that made perfect sense to him. The possibility that Njord was waylaid, or worse, never entered his mind. The optimism of youth helped a good deal with that belief, even as @Meerkat's mood gradually darkened. So far, it had not meaningfully affected her son.

Yet there were little eddies of change around him and his behaviour that suggested he was not entirely spared from concern. More and more often, Stingray visited the pack's private beach and looked out over the waves as if he could see his paternal family's island in the distance. That was where he was now, so focused on the horizon he didn't see a little crab scuttling past until it clambered over his paw.

Oh, hi lil guy! he said to it, stepping gingerly out of its way. Sorry ta bug ya! The crab, of course, did not answer, which didn't stop Stingray from proudly sharing, I'm gonna be the first to see da when he comes home! You'll see!