Sun Mote Copse Sun-Dried Tomato Copse

Njord had a successful hunt and carried a plump winter rabbit in his jaws as he searched for @Meerkat. Njord knew it wouldn’t be long before their new bairns would arrive – judging by the prominent curve of Meerkat’s sides. Plus, she was simply glowing!

When he found her, he set the rabbit between Meerkat’s paws. “Care for bite, m'Lady?” he asked, knowing that her appetite during pregnancy sometimes waivered.

She didn’t move from her chosen spot near Seal’s Nook, the deerskin soft and warm beneath her as she simply sat there and enjoyed her peaceful surroundings. After some time, she heard footfalls in the snow and redirected her amber eyes from the clouds overhead to a more earthen plane. Only, she found heaven in the form of her mate approaching with fresh meat.

How did you know I was feeling famished? she quipped lightly, bending to sniff at the carcass before tearing into it with unladylike gusto.

After chewing and swallowing a few mouthfuls, Meerkat wiped a paw across her mouth and sat up straight. She smiled at Njord, arcing her neck forward to plant a little kiss on the side of his mouth. She had to retreat quickly, the pressure uncomfortable on her distended midsection.

Your bairns are lively today, she told Njord, reaching for one of his forepaws to guide it to the spot where ribs softened into belly.

Njord was happy to see Meerkat gobble up the meal he had brought. This pregnancy was so different from her last. Njord wondered if it was truly the mountain air and altitude that had affected her so badly. Whatever the reason, the man was glad she thrived in their lowland home.

“You’re verrae beautiful when ye eat like that,” he teased lovingly just before Meerkat wiped the smear of rabbit from her maw. She missed a spot, though, and so Njord followed up with a quick swipe of his tongue to snag a morsel off her face for himself.

Then, when Meerkat remarked about their babies and took his paw, Njord’s thalassic eyes became wide. The babes rolled and kicked enthusiastically! Did they like rabbits too?

“Och, they’ll be braw lads an’ lassies,” Njord quipped as he scooted closer to Meerkat and laid in a ying-yang position. “Ah’m so happy to be a Da again,” he added as he watched their tiny feet move under her sides. “It willnae be long now, hmm?” he remarked thoughtfully. “Would ye like me tae send for Sialuk when it is time tae deliver?” This was Meerkat’s third rodeo, but he still worried for her health.

While Njord settled beside her, Meerkat wiped at her mouth again, inwardly chuckling at his earlier remark. She wouldn’t apologize for her hearty appetite; she was eating for two or more! Besides, she thought he probably meant what he’d said, the ridiculous man.

Oh no, that won’t be necessary. Fennec’s here. You’re here. We’ll be fine, she assured. While we’re on the subject, please keep Ray posted at the door when the time comes. I don’t want him to see anything he won’t be able to unsee, Meerkat said, muffling a coughing laugh against the back of a paw.

“Ah’m happy your kin found us here,” Njord remarked when Meerkat mentioned Fennec, happy to weave family into the fabric of their new pack. With his wife’s assurance, Njord cupped a broad paw atop hers in a gesture of silent confirmation.

“Aye, Ah will,” Njord replied. “Still cannae believe Ray is back,” he chuffed in a disbelieving laugh when their son rose to the focus of their conversation. He looked away dreamily. Perhaps if Ray found his way back to them, their other children would too.

Then, Njord came back to the present. “Speakin’ of Ray, Ah couldnae help but notice Nyssa is about the same age… Do ye ken…?” A corner of Njord’s mouth curled in a smirk. Would spring bring new romance? Would they be grandparents someday?

And not just to visit, Meerkat picked up her husband’s thread, but to stay! I’m so happy.

Her own face was dreamy with joy, although Njord’s next comment immediately shifted her expression. The corners of her mouth twitched upward and she gave him something of a cunning look.

I definitely noticed, she concurred with a laugh. I told myself to mind my own business. But she’s lovely and he’s… well, he’s Ray. They would make a great pair, wouldn’t they? A thoughtful expression drifted over her face. They’ve both faced trauma. I bet they could be so good for each other…

Njord was chuffed when Meerkat revealed they shared the same brain cell. He grinned at her cunning, fox-like expression and thought her very adorable.

“Aye,” he agreed with a nod at each of his wife’s bullet points. “They’d make quite a bonnie match… and tae think… they could make us become Seanair an’ Seanmhair one day.”

As Laird and Lady, Njord and Meerkat could very well orchestrate a scenario to pair the two up on patrol or hunting duty! “It will be hard tae nae meddle in their affairs,” he joked with an impish chuckle. Njord knew that, despite all of their plotting, they weren’t the type to insert themselves in such a way.

“Kukutux better watch her back,” he added with a laugh, “you may take her over as mistress matchmaker!”

She smiled at Njord’s joke, though the mention of Kukutux suddenly reminded her of something she’d been meaning to ask him. Meerkat knew she could talk with her husband about anything, though she still hadn’t thought of a way to bring up this topic tactfully.

You know, Asivaq is Kukutux’s daughter. But they’re estranged due to her marriage to Kigipigak. I asked her why and she said that he left his previous wife and their children. Kukutux raised one of his sons as her own in his absence. I asked her what took him from his family but she says she doesn’t know. Can you imagine having such a giant, unspoken secret between man and wife?

She didn’t want to imagine it. Meerkat shuddered slightly. She looked at Njord fondly, though with a wrinkle of concern between her eyes. Did he know anything about his aokatti’s treatment of his family? Perhaps there was some pardonable reason for it—such as Njord’s own absence when their first litter was still young—but the mystery of it was ominous.

Njord had gleaned some details of Kigipigak’s life during the hunt on Hoshor Plains and now Meerkat filled in the rest. It seemed Ariadne had taken a new moniker. Njord frowned when he learned of their estrangement from the moon villages, apparently caused by their history with his aokatti.

“No, Ah coulnae,” Njord agreed thoughtfully with a weak smile, clearly hurt to hear of his blood-brother’s trials. Everything sounded so upside-down since the last time he and Kigipigak had spoken. Their new chapter had sounded so promising…

Njord took a deep breath, as is he was about to begin a long story.

“Ah dinnae ken exactly what happened tae my friend…” he acknowledged. “But there was once a time when, as a younger man, he was wed tae a woman named Sakhmet. Ta’gether they began tae settle land in that Taiga named Natigvik, much like we’ve done with our Copse. However, it t’was a harsh and formidable range, near a swift river. At the time, Ah had made a pact with Kigipigak tae help them establish Natigvik in exchange for fightin’ lessons for Loko an’ Ah… Do ye remember? T’was jus’ after your run-in with that she-wolf on Sapphique’s southern border.”

At this point, it felt like ancient history.

“T’was some time later when Ah ran intae him again. Jus’ before tha bear…” Njord explained. “He told me Natigvik had crumbled. The Moon Village sheltered them. Sakhmet took one of their sons, Akkuma, into tha wilds tae settle his spirit… but he did not return.” Njord frowned. A fractured family. A failed homestead. “Ah think… his spirt couldnae bear it,” Njord speculated. It was evident, by her husband’s expression, that he empathized with Kigipigak.

She didn’t really remember. Perhaps it was the fabled pregnancy brain fog, though more likely it was simply the passage of time. Meerkat just tipped her head and motioned for him to continue. The mention of the bear sent a trickle of horror through her heart; it seemed some things were not lost to time. She paid that no mind now, listening to her husband’s every word.

When Njord finished, she had to admit, I don’t understand, then recounted, He was with Sakhmet and it sounds like they had at least two sons. When their pack failed, they went to live with the Moon villages but his wife took one of their boys and left. Who didn’t return? Akkuma? What happened to Sakhmet? What about their other son? Was he the one Kukutux ended up raising?

She felt like she was grilling him and gave him an apologetic glance. Maybe he didn’t even know these details himself. But Meerkat wanted to understand. She wanted the whole story, or as much of it as her husband could provide, seeing as Asivaq hadn’t been able to offer anything but blank pages in the very middle of the book.

When Meerkat attempted to gain clarity with questions an intrusive feeling entered Njord’s mind. It felt as if she was challenging his word, probing at his recollection for falsities, even though it wasn’t the case at all. He pocketed this emotion and decided to reflect on his insecurities another day.

“Aye, Akkuma didnae return,” Njord verified.

“Sakhmet an’ their other son, Kivaluk, stayed with Moonglow. Kukutux welcomed them at her hearth an’ Kigipigak went tae tha wilds.”

Njord frowned as he imagined the great failure Kigipigak must have endured.

Well, they certainly knew the pain of losing a distraught son to the wilderness. Meerkat drew in a long breath as she pondered this part of the story, though Njord’s voice recaptured her attention as he fielded her other queries. It seemed Sakhmet had returned sans Akkuma only for Kigipigak to leave her and Kivaluk. She still wanted to know why.

Judging by her husband’s expression, he empathized with the man. Meerkat did not feel the same, though she did not speak to these feelings. At the end of the day, it was none of her business, though it didn’t sit right with her that neither Asivaq nor Njord seemed to hold the man accountable for abandoning his family, presumably of his own free will.

Let’s talk about something else? she suggested after a moment, smiling gently at her husband. Something lighter. How many bairns do you think you feel?

She caught his paw and pressed it to the side of her baby bump again. It was impossible to truly tell, though Meerkat guessed there were are least two, possibly three. It was fun to guess, though in the end, she knew it didn’t matter, just as long as they came safely into this world soon.

Fade here? :D

Meerkat artfully wove the conversation in a different direction.

“Mmm,” Njord hummed in agreement and planted a kiss on her cheek as if to acknowledge her good intuition.

Then, his wife placed his paw upon her belly. A wee bairn kicked!

“Maybe just one verrae strong babe!” Njord exclaimed with a laugh. This litter seemed especially active. Then, with Meerkat fed and the two of them cuddled like chipmunks in a nest, their conversation reached a natural conclusion. Njord slipped into a quiet respite and enjoyed basking in the presence of his beloved partner.