Hushed Willows uncloak

If you mind any of this, just let me know.

Just the two of us, Meerkat whispered in her mate’s ear that brisk October morning, leading him away from Sapphique and toward Hushed Willows.

When they arrived and began to explore the lush willow grove, Meerkat tried to ignore the disquiet deep inside her. Any time she felt her thoughts being drawn in that bleak direction, she looked to @Njord and grounded herself by admiring his handsome features. He wasn’t perfect, of course, but silently she renewed her vows of devotion to this man.

After an hour or two of winding through the willows, she gently reached out to stop him and said, Njord? Do you think… Meerkat paused, took a deep breath. I know it’s early but we’ve already talked about it and… I want to have more children with you in the spring.

It should’ve come out happier, more excited. But there was the heaviness of unspoken implications in Meerkat’s voice as she gazed at him, wondering if he knew where she was going with this.

Njord slept a bit easier after he took some time to reflect in Sapphique’s cemetary with Quennell. Sometimes a little pity party helped rally the soul.

He awoke, plesantly surprised, to a proposal from Meerkat to explore the Hushed Willows – just the two of them. Njord was a bit skeptical but, since his wife took the initiative, he obliged. They meandered through the beautifully dramatic tresses of willow boughs, which cloaked the land like grand drapery.

It was peaceful.

“Mm?” he hummed when Meerkat turned her conversation to more poignant matters. She said a statement… but Njord could sense, by the tone of her voice, what she alluded to. Yet, he did not want to mistakenly put words in Meerkat’s mouth.

He paused a long while. “There’s new… sentiments. Obstacles,” Njord observed vaguely. “A new order to tha pack.” He minced his words purposefully, afraid to say too much and upset her. “Do ye wish ta hear my thoughts of it?” He turned to look at Meerkat and gauge her reaction. If his plain words stirred too many feelings, he would not utter them.

The corner of her mouth twitched upward when Njord looked into her eyes, seeing through them and reading her thoughts like the pages of a book. She stepped forward to lightly press her nose to his, then withdrew so they could continue to look at one another. She took a seat as he hinted at their mutual concerns. Meerkat’s head bobbed.

Very much, she said, but before you say anything, I just want to make sure you understand one thing: there is no ‘I,’ there is no ‘you,’ there is only ‘we.’ Meerkat smiled gently, then motioned for him to speak.

Meerkat’s words were encouraging – a timely reminder that it was not husband versus wife, but husband and wife versus a problem. He face warmed with gratitude. “Verra well,” Njord agreed as he took a seat.

“Let me start by sayin’ if you… if we,” he corrected himself, “desire wee bairns then it shall be so.” There was no problem too big to be solved and Njord reaffirmed that they would sort this conundrum with an assured look.

Then, he began the litany of concerns. “I have been feelin’ a stranger in my own pack,” Njord admitted as his shoulders slumped.

“Erzulie hasna spoken to me… Rosalyn didna need ta utter a thing, her look was fierce enough. An’ Sobo,” the seaman frowned. “I’ve been tryin’ ta reach him but he willna parlay. I fear I canna reconcile my missteps,” he sighed. “It was silly of me to ever – ah,” Njord stopped himself, “that is a trouble for another time.”

Njord’s gaze darted away momentarily to gather his thoughts. “Tha pack is familial with tha Dahomey an’ Riviani’s at tha center of it. Tis always been that way, even when Merlin an’ Rosencrantz lived. Now, Sapphique has turned to tha next chapter. Chacal and Mireille stand at the helm… it’s most likely they’ll be havin’ litters of their own next season. Maybe even Sobo, too.”

The truth was difficult to swallow. “’Tis no secret my rank is low within tha pack. I was supposed ta help anchor us into Sapphique’s heart… but, now…” Njord’s words became wistful, “I feel I am on tha outside lookin’ in. Maybe ye feel differently,” he suggested. So much time had passed… perhaps Meerkat had become more embeded into the sisterhood than he ever had.

“I canna change what’s been done,” Njord said regretfully. “Now, there's only decidin' what ta do next."

Her throat thickened when Njord confirmed what she had started to suspect: some of the wolves in Sapphique had not welcomed his return. It hurt her heart to hear it, though she understood. He had walked away from her once but he’d done it to some of them twice now. Meerkat couldn’t fault them for guarding their hearts.

She knew the pack was built around family and feminine power, neither of which left Njord much margin for error even in the best of times. But he brought up something she hadn’t even considered yet: competition for resources. Even if he managed to get back in the pack’s good graces, would there be room for their bairns?

Rather than despair any longer, Meerkat squared her shoulders and said, I think we should speak to Mireille. Maybe… She glanced off through the willows, each of the next several words coming heavily. Maybe we don’t belong in Sapphique anymore. Maybe everyone would be happier if we moved on. Her eyes cut back to him. I think Mireille could counsel us on this.

Maybe that was a lot to put on someone so young, yet she was the queen of Sapphique now. Long had she mediated between Njord’s family and the rest of the pack. Meerkat respected her and trusted her judgment, particularly in this. If there was anyone who could help them bridge that gap—or advise them to burn the bridge altogether—it would be his daughter, the Obsidian.

Meerkat responded decisively and Njord was thankful for it.

Yet his heart weighed heavy at the notion that Sapphique would be better off without them.

Njord knew that prey did not travel through old wood. They preffered young growth for cover. Sometimes it took fire, destruction, to bring life back to a land.

“Tha thought has crossed my mind before,” the seafarer confided in his wife. “When ye came ta live by tha sea with me… I was so happy. But a part of me felt it wouldna be our home forever.” He paused. “Though I’d imagined we’d be in better spirits at the end,” he chuffed mawkishly.

A strong breeze shook the long trains of willow like windchimes. Njord watched Meerkat’s hair dance in the wind and his eyes grew soft.

“Tis a good idea ta council Mireille,” Njord acquiesced, though he worried it would tarnish the last good relationship he had left.

Her head tilted at his confession. Meerkat said nothing, though his comment about spirits stuck in her head. She remained silent until he shared his thoughts on her suggestion, her teeth working at her lower lip.

I’m hoping that if the three of us agreed we would be better off elsewhere, we could part on mutually peaceful terms, Meerkat said. She didn’t want to speculate too much, though she pointed out, We could just… spin off.

A far-fetched and quite possibly overly optimistic thought crossed her mind: perhaps they could even establish a sister pack somewhere nearby? She hesitated to mention it, though she would file away the thought to bring up with Mireille, depending on how the conversation went.

Hmmm, Mereo is just over these mountains, Meerkat mused. If it wasn’t a military pack, I’d say we could always consider going there.

There was the outpost in the valley next door, though she didn’t mention it for two reasons. Firstly, she didn’t want to get ahead of herself. Secondly, she realized that if they left Sapphique to grow their family, it made much more sense if she and Njord started their own, just the two of them and their present and future children.

Looking around, Meerkat thought someplace just like this could serve them well.

The seafarer listened to his wife with a thoughtful mind. It felt like they were approaching a turning point in their lives – and Njord couldn’t quite see around the corner. Everything was predicated on one thing: would the pack permit them to have a litter this season? If the answer was no, Meerkat and Njord would leave with, or without, their support… and the lack of control in this decision sent a feeling of powerlessness snake through the redtail’s veins.

Yet his wife appeared practical and optimistic. There was no doubt Meerkat had a better grasp on the packs of Teekon Valley. Every season saw new clans come and go. Sagtannet, The Saints, Redtail Rise, Natigvik, Duskfire Glacier… What were the upstarts, he wondered. Was there a new home meant for them somewhere out there?

She spoke of a distant pack with a militant structure. Moreo… the name sounded familiar. Suddenly he remembered. “Moreo is where yer kin lives? Where ye took tha children ta visit?” he asked. Though it was an enticing notion to be near Meerkat’s family, it didn’t seem like his wife chomped at the bit to jump into a new pack with such a rigid structure. With a chuckle, he titled her “my love, tha world seer. I dinnae ken how we’d fair in a place with officers an’ lieutenants. You are tha only one with tha authority ta order me ‘round,” he said in an animated tone.

He stood up as if to punctuate the conversation. There was no use spinning their wheels until they spoke with Mireille. Njord watched Meerkat look around at the willows in the wind. Seeing her with such a beautiful backdrop made his heart jump. “Tis a bonny place,” he hummed as his gaze drank her up deeply.

Njord took a step forward as his posture tightened up. A light shone in his eye. His red tail flagged against his back. An invitation to play.

Yes, she confirmed, mentally stumbling over the reminder of his absence but focusing on the conversation at hand to move past it. I’m glad my mom likes it there but I would personally never want to life that lifestyle, to be clear, much less raise children in it.

Don’t tell her I said that, she wanted to joke, which threw another obstacle at her train of thought. If Njord and Towhee ever met up at this point, what would her mother think? The Redhawk matriarch would be even harder to please than the toughest cookies in Sapphique.

Pushing that thought aside as well, she focused on her husband’s words. She nodded, though the mental gymnastics had left her a bit psychologically winded. Meerkat didn’t want to think about anything anymore. And it seemed Njord was on the very same page.

Nearly the moment his tail flicked in invitation, Meerkat surged toward him. Her lips grazed his cheek before she whirled and ran as fast as she could through the sea of willow fronds.

For some time it had felt as though Meerkat and Njord were reading different chapters in the same book. Finally, however, the man knew they were on the same page.

With a kiss, his oat-colored lady disappeared through the curtain of catkins. Njord promptly gave chase. “Ye willna hide from me, mo nighean donn!” He called out sweetly – a faux-growl hidden in the timbre of his voice.

He pursued his wife with charisma. Long, jovial strides carried him through the copse. It felt good to let the shackles of remorse fall from his wrists – even if only momentarily.

New energy invigorated him. A premonition of desire. How badly he wanted to catch her!

I have no desire to! she sang back to him, shooting what could only be called a coquettish look over her shoulder.

Despite this declaration, she pumped her legs as hard as she could, reaching her top speed as she ran through this particularly mythical forest. Soon she found herself in the shadow of the nearby mountains, the grass underfoot giving way to drier soil as she reached the foothills.

She slowed a little, find herself short of breath. Once upon a time, she had been rather lean from constantly moving all over the place. These days, she was a little stockier, with a new layer of meat over her softening muscles. It had never bothered her before, though as her gallop became a lope became a trot, she acknowledged that she was a bit out of shape.

Meerkat glanced over her shoulder in the hopes Njord would catch up and run alongside her now. She wondered what he thought of her curvier figure, whether it had surprised him after being away. She felt a little self-conscious all of a sudden, her gaze panning curiously over the side of her mate’s face before shifting to look ahead.

They ran together like swift deer through a dale. Scenic greenery rushed past them as the wind grabbed at their fur. Soon, Njord flanked Meerkat. The cadence of his footfalls fell into her rhythm. How thrilling it was to chase the wind together!

Eventually, their speed ebbed. Great heaves of breath pushed out of his lungs, tongue skipping as he panted. Their eyes met, bright with new life, but when Meerkat looked away Njord’s gaze remained fixed upon her, captivated.

Suddenly, he could take no more. Njord pushed off the ground to take one, two, three strides and cut off Meerkat’s path. He snaked around her, posture tall and proud. His neck craned to push his muzzle to the bulb of her ear and raked his teeth through the short fur, there. The self-conscious thoughts Meerkat harbored did not exist in her husband's mind.

“Mo chride,” he crooned, wanting her.

She needn’t have worried that her husband found her softer edges anything but provocative. Meerkat halted when he pranced in front of her, cutting off her stride. She didn’t feel particularly desirable at the moment, though the Laramite decided they’d dealt with enough obstacles lately. She wasn’t going to let a little more flesh get between them.

Mm, she murmured throatily when the tips of his teeth pressed into the sensitive skin below her ear. I saw a cave back there, Meerkat said, voice gone a little thready for his attentions, although I wouldn’t mind making love beneath one of these willows…

Want to fade to black and have the one with Mireille soon? :D

Sounds good to me!

“Say no more.” On command, Njord turned and shepherded his paramour to beneath the arching boughs of an old willow, favoring the soft grass over the stone.

They disappeared behind a veil of green. The soft touch of leaves against their shoulders

How long had it been since they were together in this way? For the man, it was a healing moment. They became lost in each other – reunited, in a way.

When it was time to return to Dragoncrest, a part of him did not want to leave this place.