Sun Mote Copse A journey begins with one step

Sialuk had given birth! Meerkat’s eyes closed as she smiled, picturing her friend and her new babies. The sun felt warm on her eyelids, though they shot open again when Ajei mentioned that another woman—a name she didn’t recognize—had birthed four as well. And Elentari was preparing to add yet more offspring to the bunch.

That’s a lot of bairns, she said with a laugh. I can’t believe they’re old enough for that, wow, she acknowledged the mention of Sialuk’s older children.

That made her think of Seal, of course, and how much she missed her not-so-little-anymore girl. If memory served, she and Ajei had been childhood friends. She wondered if the young woman had seen her daughter lately. As far as Meerkat knew, she was still living in Brecheliant. That thought made her wonder something.

Did you move to Moonspear as part of your coming-of-age? she asked with bright, curious eyes.

She thought of Arrluk, who bore an uncanny resemble to @Orca II. She hadn’t seen her daughter in many days and assumed she’d dispersed again. It was too bad she wasn’t here and that Arrluk hadn’t accompanied Ajei. Meerkat would’ve loved to see the two of them side by side.