Dragoncrest Cliffs days go by and still i think of you

Meerkat decided it would be a bit too chancy to take her trio to visit Mereo. Maybe they were old enough to travel that far, if they took their time, but they couldn’t go without Njord, could they? And that made her rethink the idea of visiting by herself and arranging a playdate a bit closer to home, because their da surely wouldn’t want to miss that, either.

Please come home, she whispered into the salty August air as she walked across the meadow, bluish grasses swaying underfoot. I didn’t think it would be this hard, she continued in a murmur, but I just need you back here, Njord.

Sighing, she sauntered beneath the shade of the cluster of trees near the meadow’s center. She slumped down to the ground and let her chin drift down to rest on top of her outstretched forelegs. Meerkat let out another long breath through her nose and tried to redirect her thoughts, though always she returned to pining for Njord.

the man had become absent.

she could not imagine what pulled him away from the grand life he had built here. sapphique was not meant for the men, but he had been here. erzulie had spoke highly, meerkat loved him deeply, and the children were bountiful!

so why toss it all aside?

a thought that churned her stomach as she caught the sight of meerkat, resting in tall grasses among a cluster of trees. the sight of lovesick tragedy — or perhaps jorunn only worried so much.

she approached tentatively with a warm sound in her throat, wondering if the woman cared for company.

Her eyes rose, followed by a lift of her head, when Jorunn approached. Meerkat offered the woman a small smile and a single thump of her tail that welcomed her closer if she wished.

Part of her appreciated the company, the chance at a distraction. But a larger part of her just wished it was Njord here instead. She didn’t want to talk to anyone but her mate right now, a fiercely desperate yearning that rendered her mute.

she would not force words between them.

meerkat knew the power of words, how they might soothe. she was a master in her counseling, after all. if meerkat wished to speak then she would do so. jorunn believed this.

so she only settled down next to the woman.

idly collecting the flowers of both weeds and blooms alike that surrounded them, setting them between the two of them. a soft humming tune in the back of her throat.

Jorunn settled down nearby, comforting in her silent presence. Meerkat watched her for a moment, though her eyes slowly glazed as she became lost in her thoughts again.

Maybe she ought to visit her mother sans the kids. Just the thought of Towhee’s face made her throat thicken. But she really didn’t think she could leave Ray, Fish and Mercy, not right now. The rest of Sapphique would surely look after them, but just the thought of walking out on them, no matter how temporarily, with their da already in the wind…

Surfacing from the mires of her mind, Meerkat peered at her cohort again. Suddenly, she remembered their very first conversation, many months ago. They’d spoken of being hurt by men. Njord leaving to visit his family was nothing like Atlas running out on her or Issorartuyok trying to fit a square peg in a round hole, but…

Is it easier? Loving women? she asked abruptly, voice soft, a faint twitch to her lips.

her lips twitched into a ghost of smile, made more of sadness and understanding than joy.

what a question to ask — and yet jorunn had not wondered it too until she had been hurt deeply and horribly by a man.

a woman has never hurt me like a man has. she confessed softly, careful of the topic they danced on now. even when it was not in love, a woman has understood me more. but if your heart is for men, it is for men. if it is for both? then you see both sides as i have.

but easier?

a small shrug of her shoulders, perhaps it was not the answer meerkat sought, but it was the one jorunn had.

The Tourmaline provided an honest, thoughtful answer. Meerkat could only stifle a sigh. It sounded like loving women was no more or less fraught than loving men, not that she could simply flip a switch. Even musing about it felt a bit like a betrayal to Njord.

But now that they had broken the silence, Meerkat decided to try distracting herself with a conversation, after all. And as her eyes slipped speculatively over Jorunn’s face, she recalled now a much more recent conversation of theirs.

Anyway… how’re things with you? And your path?

meerkat did not speak on it more and jorunn did not push it.

instead she welcomed the distraction of talking about herself. it is good. sapphique brings me much joy. we share trades, because you inspired me. her features wrinkled with a momentary smile, delighted by the other woman as always.

and i...spend much time with erzulie now.

they did not hide it anymore, but she did not know how much others saw.

Meerkat was a busy woman, though it would’ve taken a much more oblivious wolf not to notice the intimacy between Erzulie and Jorunn. It was none of her business, of course, but she would be lying if she said she hadn’t wondered about it. What did Rosalyn make of it? Even with her troubles, Meerkat doubted she wasn’t aware of it, so she must sanction it.

I’ve noticed, Meerkat said, one corner of her mouth lifting. It was hard to bring herself to smile but she didn’t want Jorunn to take her words the wrong way. Can you tell me more about it? she wondered, aware that it was private but sincerely curious how it worked, not to mention it would get her mind off Njord if only for a few moments.

she blushed, beneath the tan of her fur.

she had brought it up and yet she felt sheepish! almost girlish all over again. it is magical, which sounds silly! she laughed. warm and bright despite herself. but it is all balanced. somehow. i do not hide my affections for her anymore. i do not worry, for i have blessings.

of rosalyn! who she had also come to care for deeply.

it is funny. that i did not know a woman's love not so long ago and now i am the third heart between two of them.

In her poetic way, Jorunn revealed that not only was Rosalyn privy to the bond between the other women, she was also a part of the triad. Meerkat was so curious how it all worked, how everyone’s feelings were spared. Was there any jealousy among them?

But that felt overly intimate, so she didn’t ask. Truthfully, a sour thought passed through her head just then. She envied Jorunn’s two lovers, where her own was absent. He’ll be back! Meerkat shouted down her own inner voice.

I’m so happy you’ve all found each other, she said out loud, her voice sounding hollow to her own ears, prompting her to clear her throat and add softly, Truly.

Wanna fade/wrap this? :)