Ankyra Sound Uppskera

Njord returned from his hunting with fresh meat for his family in tow. A good meal will do them all well. Especially for Swordfish. Dutifully, the redtail constructed a new burrow to let the frozen snow do its work and preserve the food for when they could all come together.

Though his hale body performed the task like a smith or tradesman, the father’s thoughts swam adrift in a watery frame of mind. Soon, the Sveijarn-Corten family would leave the seaside territory that they had long called their home. He would have suffered any injury or disrespect to keep his family together as Meerkat wished – protected from any threats. Yet his wife, forever wiser, knew it was time to go their own way when the trust between Chacal and her husband was severed completely.

Meerkat was shown no kindness in this decision by their Roja. His wife was so hurt, that she needed to find solace in the willows. The pearl ceremony only seemed to underline their fall from grace within the pack they would soon depart. Njord steeled his heart and turned toward his small family, not knowing if his sons would choose to stay or go. His insides twisted with anxiety over this, feeling the reaper’s breath upon his neck – knowing the bear still lurked somewhere out there. Swordfish’s thousand-yard stare knew it too.

In one moment, all those things became small when the guttural bay of Erzulie’s lament reached Njord’s ears. It was like she, herself, had reached into his heart and unplugged his aorta. Proverbially he was bleeding out, heart sundered… and the man hadn’t even moved a step.

In the next moment, Njord sprinted across Dragoncrest. Past the lowlands, into the Greatpine, up to the cliffs… His body moved reflexively. So much that, in hindsight, he wouldn’t even remember running.

He found Erzulie in Sapphique’s graveyard standing over something. It was a wolf. Was. The head was open and caved in like a broken melon. The meat and skin of it were eaten from the shoulders and haunch down to the… wait. Was that a red tail? Njord stumbled closer. He couldn’t believe it. Wouldn’t believe it. Njord reached out his shaking paws, gathering pieces of the limp body like one did a large quilt until, finally, Sobo’s disfigured face rested in his arms.

Njord coughed a sob. Looked around, dazed. Confused. Was Erzulie still beside him? Val? He moaned like he had been lobotomized. Like he was an animal without words. His son! The life they had created! The relationship he had damaged. Ruined.

Abruptly, Njord stood up. His once-strong legs quaked before he crumpled to the ground. Erzulie ripped herself away – transformed into a passionate berserker. Njord found he could not.

Could not run. Could not stand. Could not breathe.

The tight squeeze of a panic attack took the man into its grasp. The world became small as he fought for tiny gulps of air. He was a fish without water.