Moonspear you could turn my sorrow into song

He roused with a sleepy slur. Although Meerkat didn’t smile, she felt the telltale tingling in her toes as affection washed through her, familiar and warm. Her brow furrowed a little and she took a step backward as he rose from their bed and stretched, though her face quickly smoothed. He would not leave her to wander the night alone.

She raised a toe to her lips and then nodded her head at their sleeping boy. Njord glided closer, his nose burying itself into the thicker fur at her nape before he pressed their heads close together. Meerkat closed her eyes for a moment, breathing quietly beside her husband.

Her whiskey eyes reopened, gleaming in the dark. She cocked her head the other way now. Knowing he would understand, she turned and led him away from their temporary ulaq to avoid disturbing Stingray. The ground sloped a little underfoot, ice cold stone angling ever so slightly heavenward.

Meerkat didn’t dare move out of view, lest Ray wake and find himself alone in this strange new place. But when she felt they were out of earshot, she pressed her shoulder to her husband’s chest to halt him and then inched forward to take a seat near a ledge. It would’ve afforded them a lovely view during daytime, though all they could see now was the expansive dark of night.