Cedar Sweep ambience

Her words only built the tension between them. He shifted about like a spooked horse getting ready to bolt. Meerkat wondered if she’d made a mistake by speaking to him. Perhaps she should just leave him be. Just as she was planning her retreat, he rumbled a response.

Reki? she repeated reflexively. It’s nice to meet you.

It was a platitude, of course, and her nose wrinkled a little. She tried to think of what else she might say, if there was anything she could say that might calm him. But once again, he beat her to the punch.

Oh, she said, blinking down at the branch, then back up at him, I was just going to take this home to spruce up the den. Meerkat stifled the urge to make the obvious joke, instead saying, I live in Sun Mote Copse. It’s that way. She canted her head to the north. What about you, Reki? Where do you live?