Grouse Thicket [m] fear the lioness, paint her face black and golden

Not long after Towhee’s return, Skipjack surprised Meerkat by asking if they could go exploring outside the copse. She went very still and stared at him a moment, wondering if his grandmother’s stories had stirred his adventurous spirit again. He’d been such a homebody since his little misadventure to the sweep. Although glad for her son’s resilience, she wasn’t sure how to feel. She asked him if he was sure (“Aye!”), then told him it would have to wait a few days, as she didn’t want to leave Towhee alone that long while she was still recuperating.

It would be a lie to say she didn’t silently hope he would change his mind. When he didn’t—when he reminded her over breakfast for the nth day in a row—Meerkat finally relented. She invited Towhee to come along if she felt up to it, which she did. She asked @Otter to come along too, if she liked, though the girl opted to spend time with @Njord today. The party of three soon set off toward the western fringe of the copse.

Before long, they were puttering through Grouse Thicket. Meerkat carefully minded her son’s movements as they entered uncharted territory, though Skipjack was by now an expert at navigating even unfamiliar terrain. It was sort of a marvel, truly, and it made her happy and sad all at once. She was glad his blindness didn’t hold him back, though part of Meerkat had hoped—selfishly, she knew—he would never want to venture beyond the comfort and safety of his family home.

She stopped suddenly, letting Skipjack and Towhee move ahead without her. Meerkat didn’t want to let her son out of her sight, though she made herself stand there a while, letting the two of them get further and further away. Her mother glanced backward with a questioning look and she just waved them onward. Towhee nodded her understanding and, a moment later, they were both gone deeper south into the thicket.

Licking her dry lips, Meerkat took a few breaths and ventured westward, planning to hit the river before turning back and allowing herself to rendezvous with her mother and son.