Redhawk Caldera woke up in india

It was foolhardy to cut through the mountains rather than retrace her steps along the coastline. And Meerkat knew it, though she couldn't help herself. Desperate to get back to the caldera as soon as possible, she took the shortcut, saving a day or two's travel in the process (and quite possibly missing the opportunity to cross paths with Phox near the island).

Fortunately, she didn't do any further damage to her ankle, though the Meerkat who showed up at the Redhawks' doorstep was not the same one who'd left weeks ago. She was noticeably thinner and weaker, with a slightly limping gait. There was a thundercloud on her brow too, though some hope shone brightly in her sunken eyes. She hadn't come back totally empty-handed, after all.

Slowly, she climbed toward the caldera's rim, then down the slope toward the Hobbit Hole. As much as she yearned to find Towhee, Meerkat's hunger forced her to stop by one of the pack's caches and fortify herself with the first square meal she'd eaten in recent memory.