Dragoncrest Cliffs brekvirki

She knew Mireille would miss Njord, whatever faults his eldest children found with him. That made Meerkat wonder what exactly Sobo made of his absence. But she couldn’t entertain such thoughts now, maintaining a focus on the young Obsidian.

Yes, she replied quietly, returning the nudge. I hope you know that I have every intention of coming back, Meerkat added, in case Mireille wondered if there was a chance she might want to move on with her life elsewhere.

She couldn’t and wouldn’t speak for the kids, of course. She actually wondered if this trip might stir their wanderlust, like exploring had done to her at their age. Or perhaps they might enjoy Mereo so much, they would want to stay there to enjoy a change in scenery.

Meerkat would miss them even more than their da, when the day came that her children left her. But she had been preparing for that day their entire lives, longer even. Just because Njord had vanished, it did not mean she intended to obligate their offspring to stay with her, should they choose to spread their wings.