Moonspear forty winks

As she fought against losing consciousness—though she did not fight the urge to sink against Atlas—Meerkat wondered if he found that aspiration absurd. She wasn't even an adult yet! How could she possibly coach anyone, save maybe for younger pups?

But not only did he laud her choice, he asked her to coach him. She blinked rapidly, then sat up tentatively. "Really?" she asked, her voice thready. Her own tail swept the ground, occasionally crossing paths with his. She willed them to intertwine.

It meant so much that he believed in her, though her earlier skepticism reared its ugly head again as she queried, albeit lightly, "What could I possibly show you? You're a great hunter... probably an awesome guardian too... I mean, you're Hydra's son. I—"

Hol'up, did that make them related? Her heart nearly sank as the realization smacked her upside the head. A beat later, she remembered: they didn't share blood. She sighed in relief and let her head sink to rest on Atlas's shoulder once more.