Dragoncrest Cliffs in a tidal wave of [m]ystery

Her lips pressed together when Njord reported that Mireille was still missing. She'd never met the girl, though her stomach dropped when he mentioned she was in the sea's hands. Did that mean she had likely drowned? But no... he seemed optimistic that she might've simply been swept away to some distant shore. Meerkat bit her lip, hoping it was true, for Njord's sake.

"Then let's hope she finds her way back someday," she murmured, wishing she could think of something better to say. She hoped another gentle nuzzle would suffice.

She allowed him to capture her gaze when he dipped his head down, gently turning the spotlight onto her. "My bonny lass," he called her. Meerkat liked the sound of that. It made her toes tingle. She smiled softly and took a deep breath, wondering where she should even begin.

"Remember how I told you about the diseased herds and my leaders' decision to relocate? Well, they've picked somewhere to move. I didn't actually get the specifics but I was told it was going to be quite the journey, across two mountain ranges."

She paused, heartbeat suddenly racing. There was so much nuance to this, yet Meerkat didn't want any of that to loom over the two of them and their future. They would decide where she would go from here, not Issorartuyok and his ultimatum.

"I know this is new," she said, gesturing between them with a fond look, "but if it's going somewhere, then... I don't really want to go anywhere." Breathe in, breathe out. "I was thinking that if you feel the same way, then maybe I could stay back," Meerkat concluded before pinning on the most critical words, "stay with you." And now she wouldn't breathe until Njord gave her his answer.