Oceanic Breeze

Question me? All of your doubt feeds my desire.

Nox didn’t know what she expected to see. There was an itch that lingered near the base of her mind until a single word scratched it. Tav. As simple and sweet as that abbreviated name be, she recognized it instantly. Although the memory of the woman that name belonged to must have been distorted from their distance apart. There were few in the world that understood and accepted her just as she was. Not even the brute whom she had called her mate for a time understood her as deeply. It was that aspect of their relationship that had eventually tore them apart. How could love ever to be true without trust? He may have accepted her, but he never understood, and now he never would. One of the people that truly understood her was Lupa and the other...Tavain. Nox had her doubts it was truly her until she spoke. That sweet and exotic accent made memories come flooding back.

Warm eyes the color of hardened maple shifted over her face. A spark of realization made them ignite with various emotions. The Tavain that stood before her was nothing like she remembered, but that hardly mattered. This was the woman that had made her feel welcome in those first harsh months in Candenta. The same one that had cultivated her own love for children and allowed her to visit, despite not knowing her very well, not to mention had guided her through the months of pregnancy and aided in the delivery of her children. Nox could have written a novel about her deeds and read them to the world. Emotional as she had been the past few weeks it was a tremendous relief to see not only a friend but a fellow mother.

Unlike most situations, she did not give that one much thought. Instead, she marched forward and draped her head across Tavain’s shoulder. It was the closest thing to an embrace that she could manage, given she had to stand on her toes to do so. Nox was a stain on the bleached meadow, a splotch of color an already bleak place, yet it felt as though she could have disappeared entirely into those tufts of monochrome fur. She was as soft and light as feather-down. Nox might have gladly embraced her forever, maybe even taken a nap, but she did not want to ruin the moment. “You are the real sight to behold, my friend.” Nox pulled away, eyes blurry and glistened with sentiment. “I do not think you can begin to imagine how happy I am to see you.” She spoke from within, unconcerned for once as her feelings spilled forth like water from a glass pitcher. Her only concern was that Tavain shared the feeling.

As she took a step back, she felt that something was missing from the picture. It did not take long to realize what that might be. “While I am happy to see you,” Nox’s eyes wandered, seemingly looking for something that wasn’t there. “I certainly did not expect to see you here, and alone at that.” At last, the missing piece revealed. They had always felt like-mindedness within each other, especially regarding devotion to one's people and family. So that was why it struck her as odd. Where were her people… and her children?

I'm gonna make my own empire.