Dragoncrest Cliffs got a soul so big, we were giants at the start of it

Their children arrived on a warm spring night, the sky clear above them. Erzulie had arrived to help Meerkat through her delivery while Njord, never far from his wife, had given space as they needed it. Worry was his companion as he listened to the sounds of labor, wishing and hoping for everything to be well – knowing well that both love and peril had their place in this endeavor. Yet when he heard the mewling cries of new life, a fresh joy washed over him.

Njord slipped into the den and laid behind her. Two boys and a girl suckled ferociously at Meerkat’s breast: strong and healthy babies. His muzzle pressed against his wife’s temple, sensing her tired delirium. Words just didn’t seem to matter in that moment – how could he possibly utter anything as grand as the feelings in his heart?

As the night waned the new family fell asleep together, and when dawn approached Njord slipped away to patrol the area and catch a small breakfast. He returned with a field mouse in tow to find Meerkat awake, glowing with radiance, and admiring the new life besides her.

“Mo chride, you are Madonna now,” he said, returning besides her. “They are verra beautiful.” As if on queue, the children began to jostle and squirm – one even spat up milk in all the ruckus. Njord chuckled. “Och, they’ll grow ta be troublemakers, I ken… What shall we name them?”