Duskfire Glacier moth to a flame

Not everyone's posted but I want to keep this moving! (The others are of course welcome to pop in anytime.) Posting is open and I'll begin another round in no more than one week.

Several members arrived soon after her summons, giving Meerkat a little confidence boost. It quailed a little when she saw Makatza. She wondered if the young girl would bring trouble today as she always seemed to do. The yearling stowed that possibly uncharitable thought as two others filed in after her. Soon, there was a small group surrounding Meerkat and Issorartuyok. Keyword: "small."

Where's Rye and Imaq? She wasn't so concerned with the rest of the pups, though she did wish everyone was here. Meerkat almost opened her mouth to inquire, then clapped it shut. Maybe they were just keeping an eye on the kids? Or maybe even Wintersbane? That didn't explain the radio silence, though as the moments stretched on and they didn't appear, she decided she needed to proceed before their collective nerves frayed.

"Hey guys, thanks for coming so quickly. I'll keep this brief and to the point. We need a leader now that Wintersbane's..." Meerkat didn't know the right word in that moment, though her brown eyes sought his mate and frowned sympathetically. "We need someone who's both interested in and qualified for the role," she continued after barely taking a breath. And I know I'm neither. "If you think that description fits you, speak up and hopefully we can make a decision as a group."

She glanced over at Issorartuyok, her gaze asking, How'd I do? There was part of her that wanted to nominate him, though she held her tongue. If he wanted to volunteer, that was up to him. What Meerkat could do was vouch for him. Maybe he wasn't occupying a high rank, though she was, so she could lift him up with her words. But for now, she fell silent, waiting to see how this unfolded.