Dragoncrest Cliffs elephants have wrinkles

meerkat was sweet, and for a moment the idea of not being alone was comforting. but the chaperone bit: it wasn't as though her da's wife would gape at her and her chosen whoever, but that was the idea that came to mind.
and so she shook her head, ruefully. "i t'ink i be needin' to do dis on my own. it not'ing against you, meerkat. but you are like —" she let out her breath. "chacal, maybe. you have done it before."
and maybe that was an explanation, and maybe it wasn't.
"i donnae need to be alone, though. my friend heda, on de islan' off de coas,' we talked. maybe we go out toge'ter, when de time comes."
friskier, but not mad. mireille supposed that was a comfort after all.