Sun Mote Copse Sun-Dried Tomato Copse

Njord had gleaned some details of Kigipigak’s life during the hunt on Hoshor Plains and now Meerkat filled in the rest. It seemed Ariadne had taken a new moniker. Njord frowned when he learned of their estrangement from the moon villages, apparently caused by their history with his aokatti.

“No, Ah coulnae,” Njord agreed thoughtfully with a weak smile, clearly hurt to hear of his blood-brother’s trials. Everything sounded so upside-down since the last time he and Kigipigak had spoken. Their new chapter had sounded so promising…

Njord took a deep breath, as is he was about to begin a long story.

“Ah dinnae ken exactly what happened tae my friend…” he acknowledged. “But there was once a time when, as a younger man, he was wed tae a woman named Sakhmet. Ta’gether they began tae settle land in that Taiga named Natigvik, much like we’ve done with our Copse. However, it t’was a harsh and formidable range, near a swift river. At the time, Ah had made a pact with Kigipigak tae help them establish Natigvik in exchange for fightin’ lessons for Loko an’ Ah… Do ye remember? T’was jus’ after your run-in with that she-wolf on Sapphique’s southern border.”

At this point, it felt like ancient history.

“T’was some time later when Ah ran intae him again. Jus’ before tha bear…” Njord explained. “He told me Natigvik had crumbled. The Moon Village sheltered them. Sakhmet took one of their sons, Akkuma, into tha wilds tae settle his spirit… but he did not return.” Njord frowned. A fractured family. A failed homestead. “Ah think… his spirt couldnae bear it,” Njord speculated. It was evident, by her husband’s expression, that he empathized with Kigipigak.