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

Njord asked the same question Towhee kept asking herself: WHY?!

He said he couldn’t, because he was helping someone. I thought it was a little wild that he wouldn’t want to drop everything and be reunited with his family but kudos on the noble gesture, I guess. I offered to help him help this guy. He kept resisting everything I said. He told me I wasn’t invited and ran off. I caught up to him, though, and tried to understand his reluctance…

I didn’t want to come back here without him, Njord, Towhee continued. I knew it’d kill Meerkat. I told him that. He seemed to want me to keep our chance encounter to myself, let you guys live happily ever after without him. He kept talking about the bear, calling himself Shardik. I tried telling him how much you guys love and miss him but…

She paused, weighing her next words. Her face contorted a little as Towhee recollected the details of that dark encounter and tried to suss out the inferences she could make from his behavior.

Something isn’t right with him. I mean, he was so young when he disappeared. He’s lived more life away from his family than he ever spent with you guys. It’s the horrible truth but… he was cold, Njord, like a stranger who didn’t want anything to do with us. At the same time, he kept checking that you guys were okay. I don’t really know what to think. I’m sorry.

And now, with that information, she hoped Njord would help her decide just how to break this news to his poor wife, without breaking her.