Dragoncrest Cliffs Barracuda

Swordfish scarcely seemed to recognize his own mother, which made Meerkat all the more frantic. When he slumped, she made to catch him in her arms, gently easing him to the ground beside Quennell. As she turned her head to look at the other boy, she caught Erzulie’s approach, quickly followed by her command.

It took her a moment to collect herself, though she nodded and took the proffered roots, at least what Etienne left her. It wasn’t as unpleasant as she expected, though Meerkat hardly registered the flavor. She chewed the lavender to a pulp, then spat it into her own paw. Carefully, she maneuvered so she could reach either young man, taking a seat and dabbing her paw into the mixture and applying it with her free hand. Both hands shook.

Dimly, she registered Chacal’s howl in the distance and, more closely, Suzu’s heart-wrenching sobs. Nearer still, Etienne applied his own salve, much more calmly than Meerkat could manage. He then moved on to other tasks, leaving the Laramite to gently smear what was left as gently as she could on the boys’ broken skin.

By the time they were tended and Erzulie said they would move them to the roja den, Meerkat was openly crying over her son. Her paws, now empty, hovered over the angry gashes on his side, as if she wished she could draw the pain out of them and into herself.