Silver Creek akisaurriñiq

Meerkat didn’t mind the quiet, nor the solitude, at least most of the time. But in lieu of morning sickness, the she-wolf acquired itchy feet instead. Soon she would be bound to her den, so she indulged her wanderlust freely. She kissed @Njord goodbye over a hearty breakfast, then told him she would return by nightfall as they went their separate ways at the door of The Taigh.

Hours later, the frozen bog and the neighboring glade were behind her. She paused to survey the standalone summit to her left and pondered exploring its foothills. But despite all the snow dusted around her, it was the sight of water in the distance that drew her forward. The basin was covered in a layer of ice, though she found a place to crack through and drink.

She ought to turn back now, she knew. Meerkat had already wandered much further than she’d intended. She raised her head and licked the chilly droplets from her chops, staring straight ahead at the woods across the water. She didn’t think she’d ever ventured to this corner of the world, though something about it beckoned her.

If she ventured ahead, she would never make it home this evening. In fact, Meerkat realized she would not make it back to the copse tonight, regardless. She didn’t mind spending the night by herself, though she knew her husband would worry. Before she took another step, Meerkat raised her head to howl a message to him, hoping it would carry the distance.