Ouroboros Spine The big lake they call Gitche Gumee

As she ran as fast as her legs could carry her, Towhee's distinctive voice echoed in her head. "Have you and Bronco ever considered leading a pack? Maybe the two of you could start one in one of the territories next door..." Truth be told, Meerkat had never once entertained notions of leadership for herself or her elder brother... until he'd recently stepped up and become the de facto leader of the stranded fireflies.

When she arrived, out of breath, her eyes swept immediately to Bronco, then to the wolf standing beside him. Here was the actual leader of Firefly Glen, alive! Meerkat's eyes widened as she paced forward to join the group gathering around Bronco and Antares. The latter looked worse for wear, though when she walked right up and pressed her nose to his shoulder, he felt real.

This was definitely another twist. There were so many possibilities of where she and Bronco might end up—here in Moonglow; elsewhere with the fireflies; back at the caldera; somewhere altogether new; perhaps even two of those at once?—she could hardly fathom them. She could feel herself becoming overwhelmed.

But then her warm brown eyes sought Bronco's face again and she felt calm. I go where you go. It wasn't easy but it made everything feel much simpler. Meerkat let out a long breath.