Redhawk Caldera met you once under a pisces moon

She took it easy for several days after returning to the caldera, convalescing near the back of the Hobbit Hole. Finally feeling properly refreshed today, Meerkat tiptoed to the doorway and sat with her back against it to watch Towhee and the pups just outside. The day was cool but sunny, with a light breeze sending pink flower petals drifting across the ground.

The Sovereign caught her eye and Meerkat lifted her left foreleg and waved. Her ankle still felt a little tender, though nothing she couldn't handle. She set it back on the ground and waited to see if and when Caracal, @Tierra and @Sphyra would notice her.

Sphyra was busy trying out her newly found power of Legs. She was getting more stable by the day, and faster, too. Sphyra loved running around, and often needed to be plucked back to the clearing outside of the den.

Presently, Sphyra was busy attacking the pink flower petals that were drifting along the ground. Every time they moved, she let out a loud RAW! and pounced at them, then batted the ground where the petals were at about ten times. Then she saw a different petal in the corner of her eyes and she moved over to that one.

Needless to say, Meerkat went completely unnoticed, for now.

There was no telling the twins apart, so Meerkat continued to think of them both as Sap/Rap. One of the girls was particularly energetic as she chased the dogwood's petals where they skittered across the ground. The yearling watched, endeared by the pup's vivacity, even if it meant she didn't pay her older sister one bit of attention.

Caracal did take notice, meanwhile. The little boy trundled over to her and plopped on her good forepaw, casually beginning to chew it like it was any other inanimate plaything. "Hey," Meerkat scolded without heat, "that's my good one. And I'd like to keep it that way." She noted his surprisingly strong bite, the sharp cut of his teeth and murmured, "Dang, I feel sorry for mom's nips..."

Petal, pounce! Petal, bite! Petal, dash! Meerkat, ignore! Petal, rawr! Petal, leap! Petal, chomp! Meerkat and Caracal, igno— wait a minute! Just as Sphyrapicus was about to head out to the next petal, she saw from the corner of her eye that Caracal was playing with Meerkat and gnawing on Meerkat's paw.

This instantly distracted Sphyra and she set course for Caracal, fully intending to headbutt him off Meerkat and claim Meerk to be her plaything!

The words were barely out of her mouth before Sap/Rap came in at ramming speed, roughly headbutting Caracal off her paw. Although glad for the respite from his teeth, Meerkat's first instinct was concern for the small boy. He went skidding sideways and fell onto his side, though an instant later, he was back on his feet and trundling away as if nothing had happened.

She quirked a brow and let out a breath of relief before turning her attention to his little attacker. Meerkat could've scolded her but roughhousing was part of childhood; it was how the three puppies would establish a hierarchy among themselves. And Caracal seemed none the worse for wear, so the yearling decided to redirect the little girl's attention while she (presumably) still had it.

"Hey, are you Sap or Rap?" she wondered, thrusting out her good paw and making to tickle her little sister with it. She fully anticipated Sap/Rap to fight back with all her might.

Sphyra totally expected Caracal to turn back on her and start attacking her right back, but all of that didn't happen. Instead, her attack seemed to have worked and, after a moment of looking a little dazed, he left them all alone. Sphyra proudly turned towards Meerkat and puffed out her chest, ready to receive praise for her strength.

Her toes touched the little girl's ribs just about the time she faced Meerkat and puffed up her little chest. The yearling huffed a laugh at the display, deciding to only graze the briefest tickling touch along the baby's side in lieu of something else.

"Why do I have a feeling you'll be a future Sovereign?" she asked smilingly, dropping her body so she was more on the pup's level. "You've been feisty from the moment you arrived. And I don't expect you to remember this but I believe I promised to help train you up as a warrior, if that's what you want."

Surely Sap/Rap still couldn't really understand her now, though Meerkat wondered as she asked, "Fight? Play?" She thrust out a paw and flopped it on the ground, hoping to entice the little girl into pouncing.

Just as she turned and puffed herself up, Meerkat's paw tickled Sphyra's side. Caught unawares, she let out an indignant Rawawr! and wheeled round to face the assailant and attack it (not really understanding it was Meerkat, too). Sphyra turned around so fast though and her newly discovered legs didn't have time to catch up just yet, so she fell over and onto her bum, where she sat for a few seconds, a little dazed.

Of course the words spoken fell to deaf ears. When the paw was extended, Sphyra was reminded again of the earlier attack made on her and she immediately sprang into action and pounced towards the paw, ready for some more play slash fight action.

It worked like magic, a smile spreading across Meerkat's face as Sap/Rap attacked. "Atta girl," she murmured, letting the youngster latch onto her leg for a moment before gently shaking her loose. It was tempting to simply let her win, though she would surely never learn that way.

Backing up a few steps, Meerkat bowed playfully and thumped the same paw on the ground, hoping to entice the puppy into pouncing again. This time, though, she wouldn't just sit still and let it happen.

After a moment of dazed confusion Sphyra quickly leaped to her feet and attacked the leg again. Initially she latched on, but was easily shaken off moments later by Meerkat.

Sphyra initially wanted to go after the disappearing leg again, but when Meerkat went down into a play bow she halted curiously to watch. Her head was erect and her ears perked forward, still a little floppy at this stage in her life. Then as Meerkat thumped the paw on the ground, the invitation was noted and Sphyra leaped forward to once more try and grab Meerkat's leg.

She watched Sap/Rap watch her, a grin slowly turning up the corners of her mouth as the anticipation built. When the puppy sprang, Meerkat yanked her paw out of the way, then hopped sideways. She incidentally put a bit too much weight on her bad paw, causing a grimace to flash across her face. But she tucked the frown away quickly and sat back on her haunches, holding her tender foreleg closer to her chest even as she waved the other enticingly in the air.

Sphyra let out a yowl of dismay and utter indignation at being outsmarted when the paw was yanked away from her and she bit the dust. Once she had recovered from this problem Sphyra turned round and she soon spotted the paw being waved in the air. Without hesitation Sphyra moved to attack it, focused completely on the fight.

Ignoring the throb of pain in her other leg, Meerkat twitched her limp wrist to entice Sap/Rap more, not that it proved necessary. The girl gave a shriek worthy of banshees not long before she sprang. Her older sister was genuinely impressed by her battle cry and her apparent ferocity. If she was this spunky now, Meerkat could only imagine what a deadly mercenary she might make when she grew.

And although she was no warrior, Meerkat knew she would help nurture this natural idiosyncrasy as much as she could, aware that the pup's parents would easily fill in the rest. She smiled to herself and let Sap/Rap grab onto her paw, though only for an instant before she yanked it away. She flattened her ears in anticipation of another indignant scream.

Finally, success! A content low growl rumbled in Sphyra's throat as her teeth latched onto Meerkat's paw. Not long after her victory the paw was yanked away again, leaving Sphyra on the ground. She opened her mouth to be indignant about that, but just at that moment she saw a few more flower petals drift across the ground in the background.

Immediately enraptured, Sphyra closed her mouth again and set off towards the flower petals with an excited Yip!, finding herself back at the game of chasing the fleeing petals she'd been playing before Meerkat grabbed her attention.

Her little mouth opened and Meerkat cringed in anticipation. But no cry came. Instead, Sap/Rap plucked herself off the ground and abandoned her older sister in favor of some petals scuttling across the little dooryard.

She let out a little yip of joy as she went and Meerkat couldn't help but grin. She settled back onto her haunches, happy to watch the pups but always at the ready should one approach her wanting to play.