Sun Mote Copse You've got a fast car

This was one of the odder sensations she'd experienced thus far. Meerkat opened and closed her mouth a few times, sticking out her tongue and spitting. She wasn't in any danger of choking, though she went pliant when Towhee swooped in and nosed open her feathery maw, using her own tongue to sweep the bits of downy fluff from her child's mouth before it caused any real problems.

Distracted by Towhee's ministrations, Meerkat didn't even see Bronco pitch the dead bird off into the brush. When the Regent retreated after a gentle pat to the baby's head, Meerkat turned to look again and stared at the spot where the partridge (not pheasant, as my earlier posts wrongly indicated) had been just seconds ago.

The tot blinked, looked up at Bronco, down at the bare ground, and back up at her big brother, looking utterly and innocently quizzical.