Firefly Ravine Bleak

The instant Meerkat understood Swordfish was missing, not dead, her focus narrowed down to the signs of many feet churning the snow around the roja den. Minding Njord’s frantic request that they stick close together, she exchanged a look with her husband and son, then ran.

As she followed the trail westward, she wondered how she’d missed them on her way back to Sapphique. But it didn’t matter now. Meerkat didn’t care about anyone or anything but Swordfish. In fact, the only other wolves that registered in her mind at all in any meaningful way were, of course, @Njord and @Stingray just behind her.

She retraced her earlier steps, running past the sound, sticking close to the nameless riverside. Somewhere along the way, her husband managed to say the word “bear.” Most of the scents they followed belonged to the pack’s most vulnerable members, Fish included. Meerkat gathered that the bear had raided the cliffs and that they must have evacuated those who could not fight.

Suddenly they were at the edge of the ravine. In her distraught distraction, Meerkat almost went tumbling into it. She dug her toes into the slippery, snowy ground and managed to avoid adding more tragedy to this day. She then turned and threw out an arm to prevent Njord or Ray from pitching into the dark chasm too.

She took a breath, ready to dart west along it, when Meerkat heard a young girl’s voice calling Quennell’s name.