Phoenix Maplewood stoned at the nail salon

The tide didn't take her anywhere, gently depositing her back on the beach where she sprawled for a while. Eventually, she plucked herself off the sands with a sigh, trying to decide on her next move. She should probably head back to the plateau to check in her with her dad. But Meerkat shied away from the idea. She needed more time, it seemed. She retreated to the center of the island, trying to forget Finley and just about everything else.

She only meant to stay away a few days, not a few weeks. But Meerkat found herself absolutely reveling in the boring solitude, day after day. She did think of her family, of course, always with a guilty lurch of her gut. But, for the first time in a long time, the yearling put her needs first. She slowed down, taking some time to just relax and stay still a while.

When she was ready, she returned to the real world. Rested and refreshed, she stopped by the plateau but didn't find anyone there. Meerkat didn't linger, heading onto the caldera. She stopped at the borders and sent up a call. To her surprise, it was Caracal who arrived to greet her. He looked so grown up. He demanded her name and business before he would let her inside, which Meerkat found extremely entertaining. She indulged him and soon he led her to catch up with Towhee.

But she didn't stay. During her time on the island, she had realized she needed some distance from her family, at least for a little while. Meerkat loved them all dearly and hated to miss out on anything. But at the same time, she wanted to live her own life, figure out what she wanted to do with herself, especially now that her family was in part reunited. Maybe someday she would return, though for now, she wanted a fresh start.

It probably would've made the most sense to seek out one of the caldera's allies and hang with them for a while. But Meerkat wanted to start from scratch, somewhere where nobody knew her or even the Redhawk name. She really hoped she could find that somewhere in the Teekon Wilds. If not, she would leave them for the first time in her life.

For now, she languished in these lovely woods, taking some time to just sit and enjoy the scenery.