Dragoncrest Cliffs our hands are tied here if we stay

During the long journey to the far northern reaches of the coastline, Meerkat had a lot of time to reflect on these past few months. With Atlas still missing and Toad gone forever—not to mention Osiris and Leta taken far too soon too—the glen felt dreadfully empty lately. @Bronco was always good company and she wanted to do everything she could to support @Antares, yet she wondered if they wouldn't be better off merging back with Moonspear or another sister pack. She had younger siblings on the way via both Towhee and Niamh, it might be the perfect time to rejoin her family at the caldera...

For now, she focused on the task at hand. The shoreline grew more jagged ahead and a wind swept southerly, informing her of the presence of wolves. Meerkat continued until she approached the borders of what she assumed to be Sapphique, raising her head and calling for an audience with Kaertok. It would be nice to see him simply for the sake of a visit, though she would also ask if the wolves here knew anything about Kaistleoki, specifically @Ravaryn's family, or the whereabouts of a wolf called @Arielle.

it had been a long while since anyone had called for kaertok. the sound of the summons sent a pang through the obsidian as she rose to move in that direction.
she thought of raleska and the white wolf, residing in the arms of one another for the remainder of eternity.
it was with a solemn expression that she came upon the young woman spun of sand-gold. "kaertok was killed by a bear some time ago," she said gently. "but his older children be here in sapphique," erzulie added, realizing that the caller was greatly youthful herself.

I want Njord to meet Meerkat but I have been crazy busy irl the last couple weeks, so feel free to skip me if I get hung up! D;

Njord, too, heard the summons for Kaertok. A fresh stab of pain constricted his heart as he loped towards the borders. He saw Erzulie first, met her gaze, and then positioned himself loyally at her haunch. He followed the kingpin to greet the messenger: a sandy youth with bright orange eyes.

Erzulie minced no words as she divulged the great Tartok had been killed by a roaming Ursus. Njord’s lips tightened. “We took care of the bear,” he added.  Kaertok, Raleska, and Rosencrantz had been dutifully buried. Shardik’s carcass had been left for the scavengers.

Two wolves approached, neither of them Kaertok. Meerkat licked her lips as she studied the first, a woman who vaguely reminded her of Nǚwū's mother, the Empress she'd only met in passing. A male soon flanked her, his bright red tail immediately drawing the visitor's eye. She then dropped her gaze as they came closer, walking in tandem.

Her breath caught in her throat at the stranger's words. She heard nothing after the word "bear" as her mind flickered like a computer hitting an error screen. She'd hardly known the man, though the knowledge that he'd also been killed by a bear hit her like a punch right to the solar plexus. Meerkat sank into a hard sit.

Her eyelids fluttered for a moment as she tried to swallow around the sudden pressure in her throat. "Oh," she replied inarticulately, then tried to gather her wits. At least you didn't know him that well, a soft, insidious voice reminded her in the back of her head. Meerkat choked out a harsh breath.

All thoughts of Arielle and Kaistleoki's whereabouts had fled her mind entirely as she finally found her words. "I—thanks for letting me know. Um." A shaky breath quivered from her. "I'm Meerkat, from Firefly Glen," she offered. "I didn't actually know him well. I barely knew him at all," Meerkat whispered, aware that she was babbling a little.

the stranger reacted in a way that brought erzulie's ears forward with concern. she smoothed it with a warm glance of welcome to njord, before her attentions belonged to the girl once more. "he was an important part of us," she spoke in earnest, tilting her head as she tried to figure what had made the youth react in such a way.
"you say you did not know kaertok, but i find you here at my borders asking for him by name." a gentle tone, one meant to encourage if meerkat meant to share. "i be erzulie," she said gently, appreciating njord's presence and the confidence she believed he would have with his own introduction.

Their visitor visibly deflated at the announcement of Kaertok’s passing. Njord looked to Erzulie and saw that the queen had picked up on the young delegate’s shift as well. Ever motherly, the leader spoke in her kind way – drawling voice like a warm hug – which could soften any wolf’s composure. It gave Meerkat a stage to share her intentions. Njord stood dutifully (perhaps, impersonating Rosencrantz), but his expression was gentle and attentive.

“M’name’s Njord,” he said. “Yer speakin’ ta one of Sapphique’s captain’s, lass,” he informed with a gesture of his head to Erzulie. He figured a scout would want to know who they were addressing. He fell silent and became a wallflower... so he could listen to the exchange and find out exactly what a a wolf from Firefly Glen (which was where, exactly?) would want with Kaertok.

They both spoke with accents, she noticed, each of them distinctively different. They were called Erzulie and Njord, their monikers nearly as exotic as their voices. When Njord mentioned the pack's captain, Meerkat took it as part of his introduction and flattened her ears, bowing her head deferentially to him.

Although Erzulie hadn't asked a question, there was certainly one implied by her words. Meerkat cleared her throat and said quietly, "He was my father, though I only met him once, recently. I was hoping to visit him..." She trailed off a bit stupidly before she thought to explain, "I was raised by my moms, Towhee and Niamh, and my dad, Phox." That was probably confusing but it was also facts. Meerkat didn't have the brainpower to clarify much further.

Absently, she raised a paw to scratch at her left cheek. She supposed there was no point in lingering, if Kaertok was no longer here. But it would probably be rude to bounce so quickly, especially with such hospitable hosts. Meerkat could stay here a few more minutes, perhaps exchange some information along with the bad news.

"I'm from Firefly Glen, which is a sister pack to Moonspear and Redhawk Caldera. Are you familiar with them? Oh!" Abruptly, she remembered her side mission. "Do you know anything about a pack called Kaistleoki? Or a wolf named Arielle?"

so many names. what erzulie chose to focus on was the fact that this was another of kaertok's children, sibling to haunt and to vex. to the rest she shook her head slowly, though her mismatched gaze sharpened at the mention of the golden woman. "niamh and i be extended family t'rough de man who sired one of my sons." she did not mention rosalyn, nor their marriage; it would come up again, she supposed, especially if meerkat had been raised similarly.
"you be comin' a long way for your family," the obsidian remarked. "i wish i had more to tell you." it occurred to her that with a connection to the redhawks, this young woman could well be a spy for the tangled family tree that erzulie wished to divest. she glanced to njord, grateful for his flanking, even if their guest had mistaken his gesture. "i am sorry dat kaertok left us before you had your meeting."

Oops. Njord realized he had flubbed his introduction when Meerkat’s posture changed. She thought he was the leader of Sapphique. Njord looked to Erzulie, sheepishly. Sorry! his expression said.

Ahem, he cleared his throat. Erzulie’s tha queen, not me, he wanted to say… but the two women engaged conversation so brisk that there was nary a second to interject. Erzulie looked to him knowingly, and Njord simply smiled and stayed silent besides her. Maybe he could clear it up later.

He was surprised to hear that Meerkat was Kaertok’s daughter. And that Meerkat also had two moms (like Rosalyn and Erzulie) and an additional dad. Njord gave an impressed face. Wolves in the Teekon certainly were different. She also listed other packs in the area. Moonspear. Redhawk Caldera. Kaistleoki. Names Njord wasn’t familiar with. His tenure in the wilds was short lived and it seemed there was a whole world to explore as well as different clans to meet.

Erzulie seemed to have a better handle on what Meerkat said. Njord’s expression remained blank, and his head shook when the time was right. He had nothing to add to Erzulie’s answer.

Another wolf might've been confused by Erzulie's statement, though Meerkat didn't question it at all, what with her own unique family dynamic. "Oh," she replied with a blink, "wow. I guess that makes us extended family too." She had come here in search of her father and had found another branch of the family instead. It was definitely bittersweet.

Neither Erzulie nor Njord seemed to recognize any of the names she'd put before them. Meerkat wished she could take back better news than all this, though that was the way of the world lately. She dipped her head to acknowledge the woman's condolences. It was certainly tragic, though more about lost potential than a true connection.

"I'm a scout and ambassador," she shared in indirectly reply to Erzulie's observation, "and I am a long way from home. I'd better head back now. Thank you for the information and your time," Meerkat said diplomatically, bowing her head. She waited for a formal dismissal before departing.

"go in peace." she watched if the girl turned away, heading from their borders, and then shot a glance to njord. "i hope she be back. she has a sister an' a brot'er here," the obsidian observed. "but maybe not it will be too painful." a sigh swelled her flanks.
she cast a smirk now toward her red-tailed companion. he and rosencrantz had spent a great deal of time together before the archangel's death, and in his silent stoicism could the harlot now see the effect such interludes had given.
"i found pieces of whalebone upon de beach," she commented lightly. "have you ever seen it?" inclining her head, erzulie meant njord to come with her all the same. there was always more that could be discussed with his easy spirit and her seeking nature.

Njord never did get the chance to correct his blunder. Meerkat and Erzulie were quick to wrap up their conversation before the scout departed. He made a mental note to ask about this extended family. It seemed the wolves of Sapphique – previously Rusalka – had quite the history embedded in these lands. Njord was the greenhorn among them… but something that would be a good thing.

“Aye,” Njord agreed, as they watched her go. “Wonder what Haunt ‘n Vex would make of ‘er.” It was funny how all of Kaertok’s kids were showing up now that he was gone. Little did he know, Haunt and Meerkat would meet as they traveled.

“Whalebone, ya say? I nev’r seen one. Ya must show me,” he asked in an entertained voice. Njord had seen whales breaching along the coast before, but it was hard to put their sheer size in perspective. Together, Erzulie would escort him down to the ocean and reveal the large shard of bleached white bone. An afternoon with the queen was always a good time.