Duskfire Glacier Ommatik

She had been meaning to seek out Kukutux and Sialuk, as well as check out the general goings-on with their new, nomadic neighbors. But Meerkat hadn't felt well the past few days. Perhaps the recent trip, followed by the pack's tragedies, had worn down her immune system. It was just a bad cold, though it made her feel sleepy, sluggish and stuffed-up.

The sound of footsteps approaching in the distance roused her from where she was tucked inside a log near the edge of Bosk Iana, half-asleep. She yawned and blinked, wiping crust from her eyes. Slowly, she rose and pulled herself out of the makeshift den, shaking and stretching. Meerkat sneezed several times, which suddenly gave her back her sense of smell.

Her mouth watered as Issorartuyok stepped into view with meat clenched in his jaws. Meerkat smiled tiredly at him, offering a weak wave of her tail and a congested-sounding, "Well, hey there."