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

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.