Swiftcurrent Creek Lost and Confused

She listened with compassion but didn’t respond, imagining that he would dwell on what had snapped inside him for some time and he wouldn’t need any spurring jabs from even her most gentle efforts. Instead, Serengeti dipped her slender muzzle and touched it to his cheek to provide whatever comfort she could, a gesture that would have carried more weight had she met him more than once and perhaps have been able to lend her ear sooner. Nevertheless, she felt he would understand the empathy behind it and her sincere wish to do what she could even after the fact.

An instant later she turned her head at the sound of agile footfalls and saw Razo trotting towards them. She narrowed her eyes at his comment, said nothing in retort and flicked one side of her lip up to reveal a shining fang when he bristled in Ferdie’s presence. She knew him well enough and knew also that there was no reason to expect anything else, but there was no reason not to attempt to balance the scales and threaten, at the least, to keep him in check.