Redhawk Caldera woke up in india

It was foolhardy to cut through the mountains rather than retrace her steps along the coastline. And Meerkat knew it, though she couldn't help herself. Desperate to get back to the caldera as soon as possible, she took the shortcut, saving a day or two's travel in the process (and quite possibly missing the opportunity to cross paths with Phox near the island).

Fortunately, she didn't do any further damage to her ankle, though the Meerkat who showed up at the Redhawks' doorstep was not the same one who'd left weeks ago. She was noticeably thinner and weaker, with a slightly limping gait. There was a thundercloud on her brow too, though some hope shone brightly in her sunken eyes. She hadn't come back totally empty-handed, after all.

Slowly, she climbed toward the caldera's rim, then down the slope toward the Hobbit Hole. As much as she yearned to find Towhee, Meerkat's hunger forced her to stop by one of the pack's caches and fortify herself with the first square meal she'd eaten in recent memory.

His talk with Raven yielded what he hoped for, his bloodline was within the Caldera and more awaited him outside their lands. The lion maned man took Towhee up on her offer to stay with her sibling for longer than three days, upping his visit to a week. It was a pleasant stay, one he may take again in the future. For now, he was inclined to his usual afternoon hunts and cache filling. Soon he thought to ask around his pack for spars, the memory in his muscles ached for a match or two. His mind, though not as sharp since his youth, yearned to learn something new, something abundantly useful for his pack. Though he had yet to figure out what it was he needed to be. As the last flecks of dirt was kicked over the badger he'd caught minutes ago, Sifaka spotted movement in his peripheral vision. He watched as the beige colored woman dug for a meal. At first glance the man couldn't identify her, his head leaned forward and his eyes squinted as if that would aid in identifying her. Then it came to him, it was Meerkat. She was scraggily and malnourished, it took Sifaka by surprise to see her deteriorated condition. She dug for a meal but the lion wasn't sure there would be food there, personally, he hadn't gotten to fill that cache. The badger popped into his mind and he knew the mammal was better use for her consumption than other packmates. Plus, he secretly had favor towards his newfound niece. 
The dirt had yet to settle in place, which made the cache easy to dig up again, with a few large movements the badger was free and hanging by the skin on its back in Sifakas maw. After quickly replacing the dirt, he trotted towards the young woman and plopped the creature down. "You look awful." He deadpanned while he sat on his bottom. It wasn't an insult, not to him, but others might take it as such. "What happened to you?" His voice was slightly inquisitive, a hint of concern tracible to keen listeners. Sifaka, a blunt brute in every way but had some kindness to offer.

Thanks so much for rescuing!

There was nothing there save for a moldy rat carcass, which Meerkat shamelessly gobbled. She'd just swallowed the last bite when she saw a flash of black and orange out of the corner of her eye. Thinking it was her mother, she turned rapidly, mouth already falling open to tell her the news. But it wasn't Towhee. It was Sifaka, who dropped a freshly dead badger at her feet before remarking on her appearance.

She didn't take offense, offering him a brief and tired smile. "The road was rough on me this time around," Meerkat replied. "Is that for me?" she questioned in the very next breath, hardly waiting for an answer before she fell upon the badger. She was so damn famished.

After several mouthfuls of fresh meat, she sat up and wiped her mouth. "Thanks, Sifaka." Now that she'd eaten a little, she really wanted to go find her mom, though she mustered up patience. It was the least she could do after he'd fed her. "How are things with you?"

Np!

Sifaka knew how difficult traveling could get, the road ever so temperamental with its many unruly moods could wear even the most experienced traveler down. He was grateful for her return in one, albeit scrawny, piece. His meal would at the very least add to her build in the future, a thought that made him happy. To be useful filled him with pride. The lion was about to ask where his niece traveled to but she beat him to speaking with her own question. Sifaka nodded a few times and let her devour her meal hastily, after a few mouthfuls her ravenous appetite was sated for the moment. Meerkat inquired about himself once her final bite settled in her belly. 
The large man took a moment to compose his words, humming deeply to give a social hint to his processes. "I have been good, I've mainly been trying to keep caches stocked. Walking and marking borders when needed. Boring but necessary things." He explained. There was also the trip he could mention but Meerkats whereabouts was a more pressing matter in his mind. "What of you? Your travels have clearly been strenuous enough to cause your ill-fed state. Where did you go?" Whether or not it was his business would never be a thought to trouble him, and when it concerned family? Sifaka was all the more nosey.  

Another day, she would've listened much more astutely. But between her distraction and her weariness, Meerkat had trouble focusing on what Sifaka had to say. Nonetheless, she forced herself to do better. She owed him a few moments of undivided attention, at the very least.

"I always hated patrolling," she admitted, "but you're right: it's very important work." So was providing meat for the pack, though before Meerkat could comment on that, Sifaka asked about her travels.

The yearling drew in a deep breath. That was a long story and there wasn't really time to cover it all. But she thought about the key points. "A couple months ago, my Neema—my dad's mate, Niamh—abruptly left the pack while pregnant. I don't think anybody's really sure why." Her brow furrowed because that was the sticking point for her. "Ever since, my dad and I have been searching for her and the pups, who'd be born by now. I didn't find them or my dad but I did get some information this time."

She paused, mostly to take a steadying breath. Meerkat wondered if Sifaka might have questions, if he wanted her to continue. There wasn't much more to add, though she supposed she could share the news itself if he was interested.

Sifaka, quick to judge as ever, thought the woman to brash and injudicious, perhaps brainless. Under no circumstances could the lion see her abandonment of the caldera as justified and her lack of responsibility to the family appalled him. Briefly, he played around with the idea of searching himself but it fell apart once he remembered the lands were utterly unfamiliar to him. It was best left to those who knew their way around, as hard as it was to admit his ineptitude, Sifaka knew when to hold and when to fold.
The mention of a tidbit piqued his interest, he stayed silent expecting her to elaborate but her steadying breath told him otherwise. As much as Sifaka wanted to know the ins and outs of his families issues, he wasn't completely impatient, Meerkat deserved rest. He could learn more another time. "I see," He said, pausing for a moment, "I hope this Niamh is normally more responsible than her current depiction." The large man stood, preparing himself to return back to his afternoon. "You should rest and if you see your mother along the way, could you send her a message?" Sifaka, already having his message formed in his mind, wondered if Meerkat would know about Fox and if not, what she would think about their ties of kindred when she inevitably found out.       

He didn’t really pursue the subject further, perhaps taking pity on her sorry state. Her lips pursed a little at his remark about Niamh. Meerkat did not reply. She still didn’t know how to make sense of the situation. The Neema she has grown up with was not the same woman who had run out on her whole family and put her unborn children at such risk. And yet she was, a reality she struggled to grasp.

Sifaka’s request surprised and intrigued her. Sure, I’m headed to see her right now, she said, then cocked her head attentively, waiting for the message.

I will probably throw Sifaka into the tagged thread with Fennec, just so he has something to do. If I can, I know its an aw but I like to make sure

The purse of her lips did not go unnoticed by Sifaka, nevertheless it would remain unaddressed. If silence was her choice, there must have been some level of agreement, or so he thought. Still, he was willing to shelve those thoughts for the days coming. Meerkat had accepted his request, he wanted something short, easy to remember and cryptic to ensure curiosity held his words firm. "Fox, your mother, is indeed my sibling." He stated, "She will understand. If you have questions I am confident your mother will explain." 

She was so tired, it took Meerkat several mental rewinds to make sense of Sifaka's message. Ah, the first bit was meant as a direct quote. The instant she figured out that part and took the time to process the actual meaning of the words, her eyes widened a little.

"Wait, we're related?" she blurted, then realized what he'd said about Towhee filling in the blanks. "Well, okay, cool." That was unexpected but certainly interesting. It actually made her think of Mou and how she should really go back to the island someday and get to know the uncle who'd once saved her life.

But everything else could wait. Thinking of her visit to Yuèlóng made the sense of urgency rise within her again. "I'll definitely pass it on. Thanks for the grub, Sifaka. I'll see you around," Meerkat said, shooting him a quick smile before hustle-hobbling toward the Hobbit Hole.