Grouse Thicket steel in our veins

Hours passed and Meerkat slept peacefully, dead to the world around her. She didn't so much as stir when a pale figure skulked by, paused, then resumed walking. But when something moved noisily in the brush, followed by a grumbling voice, her eyes popped open and her head lifted with nigh comical speed.

"Who—" she blurted, hazy gaze drifting from the she-wolf with cream fur and absolutely lovely markings to the—Meerkat fisted one sleepy eye—dour-looking coyote. It took her a moment to realize she was surrounded.

Slowly, the young ambassador rose onto all fours, peering between the two figures. Neither one looked particularly aggressive, though her attention lingered on the coyote. She'd never met one before and Meerkat was, in a word, intrigued. But she was also still waking up, so she said nothing, shifting from foot to foot as her brain continued booting.