Sun Mote Copse It’s been a long day without you, my friend.

Towhee reconvened with Njord past the lake and together they journeyed home. She was uncharacteristically quiet and so Njord picked up the conversational slack.

-“Ah wonder if he’ll join tha copse.”-

-“Do you think we should take tha kids on a fishing trip?”-

-“Did Ah tell ye about the snapping turtle Skinjack an’ I saw?”-

-“There’s a Juneberry growin’ in Seal’s Nook. We can gather berries this summer.”-

The one-sided small talk filled the void that Towhee’s reticence created.

-“Is everything okay?”- he finally asked when the Copse came into view.

Towhee loosed a long breath. A silent answer. Forever a therapist and advisor at heart, Njord settled in as if to listen to her woes and gave Towhee his undivided attention with a kindly expression.

-“Dinnae fash, we’ll figure it out,”- he assured Towhee when she admitted her worries about Meerkat.

Yet never in a million years could he have predicted the story that came to light.

Towhee minced no words and got down to brass tax. At first, the man’s face became gilded with astoundment.

“Swordfish?!” he exclaimed over Towhee’s words, not bothering to sign the name.

Njord’s blue eyes became wide as if to say, I knew it! My son is alive! Oh happy day!

He begged to ask the next question, where, where is he? But the words needn’t be said, for Towhee already had the answer. A beautiful fantasy of a happy, nuclear family was immediately snuffed out.

Killed a bear. Tried to get him to come. Wouldn’t come back.

Shardik.

To hear the name almost made Njord vomit.

The man looked confused at first as the information buffered. He blinked, too stunned to say anything. Then, he rolled back onto his haunches and sat down, exasperated.

“Wh…what?” was all he could muster, stupefied.

It was as if Pandora’s box had been opened and the lid couldn’t be closed. All at once, Njord felt the crushing weight of this revelation. Vivid memories of the day his family evacuated Dragoncrest Cliffs were recollected in Njord’s mind. The empty Roja’s den. Stingray’s hollering. Meerkat’s wails.

Where’s my son?
Where’s my son?
WHERE’S MY SON???

Even after death, the bear continued to claim his sons. The image of Sobo’s mutilated face made his heart skip a beat.

Njord's chest hurt. Was this what it felt like to have a heart attack?

The only reason he didn’t fold right then and there was the thought of Meerkat. Of Stingray. Njord was positive his wife would be completely devastated… and, selfishly, Njord almost wished he hadn’t been told. Blithe ignorance would have been a simpler fate than having to face the mother of his children with the news that their long-lost son lived, but couldn't be saved.

Njord’s mouth felt like it was full of sand. “W-why wouldn’t he come? Did he say?” he managed after a long pause.