Sun Mote Copse that sank when i fell overboard

Ray took a moment to appraise his parents' faces, the subtle changes brought on by the endless march of time. Meerkat had hardly changed, though it was evident in the softening of her curves that his mother was pregnant with his newest siblings, a thought that made his tail wag even harder. Njord, being a little older, was a touch more rugged than Stingray remembered, but there was no decline in the man's strength. They looked well and were thriving, for which he was grateful.

He would never forget the sorrow in their eyes when Swordfish disappeared or the bone-deep weariness of leaving Sapphique, nor would he forget their joy when welcoming Seal and Orca into the world, or their grief while holding Narwhal. He had seen his parents through good and bad, and was overjoyed that they seemed happier here than they ever had in his memory.

Oh, yeah, she's good! Stingray answered, beaming at his mother. Same Sialuk as I remember. It's crazy she has kids now, it didnae feel like I was gone that long! It sounds like pretty much everyone else is still at Moonspear. Oh, but she said Seal went to Buh... Bro-shell-unt? He had no idea where that was, but one of his many mental notes included going to seek out his sister for a visit. He would have liked to see Orca as well, but it sounded like she took after Mercy and had gone off on her own, and at such a young age.

They asked about his time away. Stingray faltered. He wasn't ready to talk about the reason he had returned, but it wouldn't hurt to share some of the details. Well, I went down the coast a ways and met a pack of pirates, he began, walking along with his parents as they led him through their scenic new home. Rowdy bunch. Nothing like Sapphique or Moontide. Not that they had been pirates, but it was the closest approximation he had. With a shudder, he added, I'm pretty sure they'd kill one another if it meant they got to take the booty. That's what they called their bones and stuff that they collect. They were drunk all the time, too.

And then I went inland a ways and met this pack of wolves who lived with a bunch of horses. They acted like horses, even. Lived in a big pen and everything and had weird floppy ears. Clearly, Stingray was not familiar with the domestic dog. Then I met a pack of stargazers who lived on a huge plateau. You could see the sky stretch on forever there! He heaved a wistful sigh. I stayed with them for a while but started getting homesick, so... Here I am!

No mention of names. He wasn't ready to talk about the people yet. Stingray wasn't sure he ever would be.