Sun Mote Copse herald

Njord led Reki across the Copse, past a large marshy pond, toward the Southern border that ran through a heavily wooded forest filled with conifers and deciduous trees. He was pleased to see that the boy was able to pick out their old border and refresh it. Njord, too, marked an adjacent stump with a lift of a leg. He hoped for Reki to become invested in the land and foster the will to protect it.

“Aye, s’just us,” Njord replied, though his tone wasn’t forlorn or wistful. “We have family visitors now and again… Meerkat’s mother and father, Towhee, and Phox, as well as friends from the Moon villages. But nobody joined before you. You’re number one!” he jeered with a chuckle.

“Ah’ve noticed there’s less traffic in tha Hinterlands,” Njord observed. “On account of the mountain range just East of here. Makes it hard to get into tha lowlands.”

He glanced over to his comrade. “An’ what of you Reki?” he asked with a hearty roll of the R. “Where did ye come from?”