Dragoncrest Cliffs sing me a song of a lass that is gone

1k for bae (and co). :P

She originally intended to depart for Sapphique bright and early in the morning. But dusk fell, deepening into night, and Meerkat was too restless to sit still or wait any longer. She didn't even really think about what she was doing until she was on the far side of the moraine. She swiveled then, for one last look, only to discover that darkness had swallowed the great glacier. If she squinted, she could make out its icy upper reaches glittering faintly beneath the light of the gibbous moon. Raising her muzzle toward Luna, Meerkat howled her final farewells to Duskfire.

She then pivoted again, moving through the winter night toward the distant coastline and the man who awaited her there. She drifted westward slowly, giving herself some time for reflection, including a brief pit stop in Larksong Grotto to shed a few tears for those she'd miss most. Meerkat then collected herself, passing through Larksong Grotto and catching a rabbit on the way. She arrived at Sapphique's doorstep at daybreak, all smiles, and breathlessly called for @Njord.

Congrats on 1k! Tagging for vis :D One-off replies welcome

The Taiga’s alpenglow cast a pink hue across the snowy cliffs as the sun rose. Njord was curled up and cozy in his bachelor den, which had recently been expanded. Winter and its frigid temperatures made the ground frozen solid but, with enough determination and time, the seafarer had managed to add on a small addition. His nails had been filed down to stubs to prove it. He hoped Meerkat wouldn’t mind these humble accommodations for the time being. Soon, they could pick out a new den together to call home.

Vibrating with anticipation, Njord could barely sleep. So, when he heard Meerkat’s voice call for him, he immediately set off to greet her. The tawny woman now held a piece of his heart and so when she was away, he couldn’t bear to call himself complete.

He broke through the tree line and saw her silhouette standing, waiting in the snow just beyond the lowlands. The thrum of his paws against the tundra increased their cadence as Njord raced across the flat plains like a stallion. He skidded to a halt and popped into a play bow, dancing around her gaily. As his excitement tempered, he would pull Meerkat in close to nuzzle her. “I am whole,” he murmured and then leaned back to regard her. “Y’look beautiful. I want ta keep you all for meself, but… I canna wait to introduce ya to Sapphique.”

When she was ready, he would tip back his head and howl a melodic song to the rest of the pack, inviting them to meet Meerkat and welcome her into the fold.

@Rosalyn @Erzulie @Chacal @Hyacinth @Sobo @Loko @Coraline @Jorunn @Hermes @Dionysus

njord's call made the day feel lighter. 
erzulie understood rosalyn's feelings upon the matter. she herself and chacal had accepted this chance, and so would her wife. the captain had always been ready to defer such things into the judgement of her mate.
njord's call brightened the skies and reminded erzulie that despite whatever change had come to sapphique, newness would overlay the already existent strength and loyalty of what they had built.
there was nothing in her but a soft joy and the lingering, sorrowful hope for mireille; the obsidian came to a small rise and then trotted to meet the pair. from this distance the bright red of njord's tail was visible.
she paused amid the rolling waves of snow to call back, voice singing meerkat's name into the wind.
and when erzulie drew closer, it was with waving tail and gentle nudges for the golden wolfess, establishing the pinesalt scent of sapphique amid the silken fur.
"welcome," she would murmur, her expression genuine.

She settled a sandy paw on the slain rabbit at her feet, an idea occurring to her. She'd brought it with the intention to break her fast with Njord to commemorate this joyous morning. But perhaps Meerkat should offer it to the leaders, a gift of goodwill? She was still deliberating this when the man himself appeared, galloping toward her in a way that could only be called majestic, at least until he came closer and suddenly became all giddy silliness.

She laughed as he danced around her, rump high and fiery tail waving. She was just considering bowing back when he leaped toward her and pulled her into a hug. Meerkat let out happy cackle of surprise, which simmered into a hum as she pressed her face into him. Njord's words made her belly dip and swoop and she clutched at him all the more tightly, suddenly overwhelmed. How had she gotten so lucky?

He let her hold onto him as long as she needed. Meerkat reluctantly pulled away, though before she went very far, she leaned to give him a kiss right on the mouth, complete with a theatrical, "Mwa!" Her honeyed eyes danced as she took another step backward, giving him room to relay his message to Sapphique. It made her heart smile, the slight tone of pride in his laddish song, and the immediate sense of belonging it implied.

One of the first voices to raise in welcome belonged to Erzulie, who materialized not long afterward to offer a more personal reception. "Hello, captain," Meerkat said, remembering the title from her very first rendezvous with Erzulie and Njord. Her lips twitched as she turned decisively and plucked up the rabbit, offering it to the leader with a bow of her head. "Thanks for coming to meet with me. This is for you. I also have a resume, if you'd like me to go over it," she offered lightly, tail waving as she exchanged a glance of utmost fondness with Njord.

Just a cameo!

Sobo's ears pricked up at the sound of Njord's joyous howl. He abandoned the bones he was cleaning by the river and took off, for once not caring if a gull or crow swooped down to nick them. There could only be one reason his da was so overjoyed. Mireille was home! He flew across the territory, waving his own red tail gaily.

But when he crested a hill and spotted Njord and Erzulie below, it was not Mireille they danced around. It was a completely unfamiliar she-wolf whose coat was the drab colour of cold sand, not the fiery warmth of his sister's. Sobo's face crumpled and his tail dropped. He considered making his way down toward them, but stopped himself. Njord was jumping around like a puppy, like his daughter was not still missing, and all Sobo could think about was his sister. So he was spending his time fraternizing with whoever this was instead of looking for her, was he?

With a disdainful sniff and a haughty frown, he turned and padded away, giving his red tail a dismissive flick on the way out. Whoever this newcomer was, she obviously had his da wrapped right around her little paw. He disliked her immediately.

Chacal was in the know, so to speak; so when the call came, she knew to expect Njord to have come to their borders with Meerkat. But the first wolf she spotted in the distance was Sobo, meandering away with what she thought was a disappointed look on his face. She considered, for a moment, how he might feel differently. Sobo had grown up with his biological father, a wonderful man, and now, he had chosen someone to bring into his life. Sobo, Chacal felt, was in every way her full brother. They had the same mothers. But...She had to admit, in seeing him rove away, that perhaps he felt differently. 

She drew in a breath; Njord would need to know, but perhaps it was best coming from Sobo. She would approach her brother later to see if she could learn his feelings. Now was Njord's time to celebrate and she felt it would be inappropriate to go now, meet his chosen wife, and bring solemn news with her. She shook out her pelt and told herself to lose the negativity as she picked up a lope and roved over the hillside to meet them. 

She worried at first that some trace of worry might hang upon her features, but she felt that all fade away when she saw the way Njord stood alongside who she assumed was Meerkat, and the way her mother smiled approvingly of her. She had wondered off and on how her mothers felt- but not once had she sensed that they felt this was a loss. 

She moved first to Erzulie's side, moving slong her flank silkily like an affectionate cat before she moved forward to greet Njord, and then offer a gracious smile and bow of her head to Meerkat. She beamed. "So dis be her, ah?" She crooned, making sure to add a note of approval to her voice. "It be a pleasure to meet you, and let it be known,
that you are welcome here, in your new home."

Njord stood besides Meerkat as his chest practically burst with pride. His cheri was bright, amiable, funny, polite, accomplished, and beautiful. She had even thought to bring a small meal as a gift for the pack (though, now, Njord wished it had been him who had the foresight to bring a house-warming gift to Meerkat).

Erzulie answered first, followed by Chacal, with good spirit and open arms. “Aye,” Njord responded. “Meerkat, you know Erzulie. An’ this is Chacal. Chacal, Meerkat,” he introduced. The dark and gold woman offered her positive appraisal with a small tune, to which Njord short her a wink as if to say thank you. It was a good feeling to have their relationship acknowledged, and welcomed, by the pack… though he was unaware others did not harbor the same feelings.

"when you have had time to settle, i would love to hear it," erzulie murmured to meerkat. chacal was warm and her own smile held its rosy hue.
she knew that this would change things inside sapphique. she herself was committed to embracing them. but she was not certain that it would be the same of all her children.
she grinned at meerkat, gave njord a warm and embracing look.
"come to see me after a while."
she arched a brow knowingly and then turned away, drifting back across the sealands toward the den she had shared these long years with her mate.

A very striking young woman joined the group, her markings reminding Meerkat of her younger siblings via Phox. She felt almost dowdy compared to this graceful creature who spoke in poetic verse. She was immediately charmed, eyes only cutting away to glance at Njord as he made formal introductions.

It’s nice to meet you, Chacal. Thank you so much for the warm welcome, the newcomer said, noting the closeness between Chacal and Erzulie. She assumed they must be relatives. Perhaps she was even an older child? For a split second, she wondered if that made her one of Njord’s, though he had only mentioned siring their most recent litter.

That thought invited another, this one errant and intrusive. An image flashed through her mind: Njord in a lovers’ embrace with Erzulie. Meerkat felt herself flush, forcing that picture from her mind. He may have trysted with her, made offspring with her even, yet they had never been lovers, she knew.

Rid of that unwanted anamnesis, she focued as Erzulie insisted they could go over her merits after she’d settled, an extraordinarily gracious offer. When the captain requested her audience later, Meerkat was quick to say, Yes, of course. I’ll come find you. Don’t forget this, she said of the rabbit. Thank you!

The Obsidian took her leave and Meerkat’s attention returned to the two remaining wolves. Since they’d only just exchanged introductions, genuine curiosity drove her to smile at Njord before focusing on Chacal and guessing, Is Erzulie your mother?

While she knew Njord to have a bouyant spirit, he seemed to brim with happiness now more than he had before. It wasn't so much a change in his character as it seemed to be an accentuation; the fawn woman seemed to bring out the best in him. 

Chacal was, of course, very fond of Njord. And though she did not perceive him as a father figure to herself, she was grateful that he had been chosen to father her siblings. In a sense very platonic and familial, she cared about him and it made her heart happy to see that he had found someone. 

She wondered how her siblings marked this new addition- but she would find out later, she was sure. Meerkat was, officially, a part of Sapphique. 

Erzulie excused herself, and Chacal wondered if she too ought to give the honeymooners time to settle in together, but Meerkat didn't seem in too much of a rush to have her leave. She pricked her ears, and nodded. "She is. I am the daughter of Rosalyn and Erzulie; dey are bot' my mothers." She said. She did not feel the need to try and rhyme her words as she spoke with her usual, melodic tone.  "You come from de Glacier, yes?" She asked. "I have a friend who used to live dere. You have heard, perhaps, de name Imaq?"

Leapfrogging Njord at Lieu’s request.

Meerkat’s ears splayed slightly at Chacal’s gentle correction. She nodded, then repeated the movement when asked about the glacier. Just as she wondered if Chacal was very familiar with it, she asked after one of its members by name.

I do know Imaq, Meerkat replied, a sad strain in her eyes as she shared, She and her son, Sikuliak, disappeared a while back. I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, she murmured, thinking of the heartbroken Rye and the little boy she hadn’t really gotten to know well before his disappearance.

She glanced at Njord. They weren’t even mates, nor did they have children together, but Meerkat felt like she could empathize with Rye’s heartache a little better now. It was kind of frightening, really, to have something so precious to lose, although the wonder of it far outweighed the risk, which she pushed to the back of her mind.

I don’t mean to sound cheesy, she said, returning her focus to Chacal, but I really hope we can be friends, Chacal. Only time would tell how well she blended into Sapphique. They were tightly-knit, though if today was any indication, she would be warmly welcomed into that weave.

Chacal immediately noticed the subtle change in Meerkat's features as soon as she spoke her friend's name, and she felt something tighten in her chest. She felt a muscle jump in her jaw as she assumed the worst- but was nstead informed of something very different. Something she hadn't expected at all. 

The "bad news" look often accompanied news of injury or death, so she was at least somewhat less pained to hear that she had disappeared. It wasn't good news, as it implied that nobody knew exactly where or why she'd gone. It sounded sudden. 

But what really winded Chacal was the fact that Imaq had a child, and all that that implied. Her cheeks flushed, and she felt her heart throbbing almost too loudly inside her chest, as though it was trying to fight its way through her ribs. Thoughts of Imaq had once made her heart flutter- but now it pounded like a hammer against an anvil. 

Meerkat apologized, and Chacal did her best to snap out of this sudden, overwhelming sensation she didn't really understand. "Oh. Well. I..." She stuttered softly, and attempted a smile as an apology, with a gentle shrug. It was not Meerkat's fault, as the bearer of bad news, and Chacal would bear no grudge. She'd sequester these thoughts and emotions until she had time alone to figure out what it meant. 

Presently, at least, she had someone here who actually wanted to be her friend. And while she was new to the pack, she was definitely trying to make a good impression. Her cheesy bid for friendship helped soften Chacal slightly from the uncomfortably tight feeling of envy she'd felt moments ago, and she laughed softly. "I am sure we will be." She said. "As long as Njord is willing to share; I can show you de secrets Sapphique has to bare." She chimed.

Meerkat liked to think she was observant and tuned in to others’ feelings, even the ones they tried to hide. She wondered a little at Chacal’s affectation, though she neither asked about it, nor did she ruminate on it long, other than to write a small note to herself. She should seek out Chacal some other time, when they didn’t have an audience, and see if she might want to talk about it.

She grinned easily at Chacal’s assurance that they would be fast friends, then the subsequent rhyme. Like with Njord’s accent, she didn’t think she would soon tire of the woman’s apparent penchant for verse. She wondered if she was a bard or storyteller. Now that was something she could ask right here and now.

You speak like poetry. It’s lovely, Meerkat said, not stopping to think that pointing it out might not be welcomed. Are you a singer or storyteller, by any chance? If not, you should be. And I like to think of myself as a life coach, so you should totally listen to me, she quipped with a merry wave of her tail.

She glanced at Njord, standing aside patiently. As much as she enjoyed acquainting with Chacal and the others, Meerkat had come here for him and knew it was time to excuse herself so they could reunite properly and get her settled into her new home. The thought sent a little thrill through her.

If you’ll excuse us, Chacal… I’ll come find you later to finish our chat, the newcomer said, bowing her head to the songstress and moving to press herself against Njord, ready to take her first steps as the newest member of Sapphique.

Edited to wrap.