It is a somber mood at the Isikara burrow. Despite their best hopes, Rufio never showed up, and as the days passed the group lost hope that he ever would. At twelve years old, Rufio is an old meerkat and while this had not stopped him before, there is a chance that any wounds he got from the Rockstars proved to be fatal.

Trixie must now go on without him and the experience he had to give. It will be hard, but she has made it through the loss of one mate and if she is lucky, a new Mr. Right will be just around the corner. For now, however, Trixie must think of her current family and after everything is clean and tidy, she leads the group out.

It is a common behavior for animals to leave places where death has occurred and meerkats are no exceptions. Trixie wants a fresh start in a new burrow and none of the family will fault her for her decision. The pickings in the area around the den have started to become rather sparse, proof that it is time for the Isikara to move onto greener pastures.

Around midday and the Isikara are still on the move, but they have slowed their pace in order to do some foraging. With his father dead, Cosmo is filling in the role of the dominant male. Keeping watch and scent marking the territory. Trixie appreciates his help, but it just isn't the same. She might be in luck, for three handsome strangers are in the area. Unfortunately for her, however, it is her three younger sisters who score a date. Maryann, Molly, and Alyssa are very submissive upon their return. But there is a chance that at least one of them is pregnant and this could give them a boost of confidence. Trixie will be watching closely. 

By the time evening draws near, the Isikara have found their new burrow. They are exhausted by the long journey and settle for a group huddle before going down for the night. 

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The death of Rufio seems to be the start of the Isikara's trials. First is that Twinkle was found dead near a cactus, and it is believed that she had fallen and died from wounds gained. On top of the fact that three subordinate females were pregnant, there were three meerkats who tested positive for TB. In order to save the group, for this disease could wipe out entire families if left alone, Emily, Piper, and Silena were humanely euthanized. Poof had also left on a roving trip and hasn't been seen since. The Isikara has shrunk to just twenty-two and still, Trixie has not found a new partner. The group is not doing too badly really, but things can easily go from bad to worst.

It has been two months since the start of summer and the Isikara have had their share of joy and sorrow. The good news is that the family has been finding enough to eat, with the proof being Carter and Sadie who are now three months old and can do a bit of foraging on their own. Trixie's pups are doing well, but Vicky has not been so lucky. For some unknown reason, perhaps stress, Vicky's body had made her abort her pups and now she is keeping a low profile. But her good behavior won't last, soon she will back to her old tricks and Trixie will once more need to keep an eye on her.

As the family leaves for today's foraging trip, they are all in good spirits. Except for Rufio who is still keeping close to Trixie's side. So far the boss has rejected his attempts for mating, for reasons known only to her, and Rufio is worried that some other male could sneak in to steal his chance. At twelve years old, Rufio is old and wise with plenty of experience in leading a group. Trixie is not his first mate, nor his second. Out of the two other partners he's had, she has been the most successful. Rufio may be a senior by meerkat standards, yet he is far from ready to give up the ghost.

The Isikara reach their destination and everyone settles down. Rufio, however, seems torn on what to do with himself. Should he protect his wife, or take sentry duty and ensure the safety of his entire group? A growl from Trixie as she wrestles with Sparky is enough to make him decide on option number two. He finds a good place, climbs up, and settles in. Despite his initial reluctance, Rufio has a good reason to be wary. This patch of land lies on the border with another meerkat family and it can easily turn into a fight if the other group decides to pay a visit. For a while the Isikara play it safe, foraging strictly on their own land and not looking over into forbidden territory. As time passes, the meerkats venture to slowly venture outward and it is Vicky who makes the first step. One by one, the rest of the Isikara join her and even Trixie goes along.

The land being invaded belongs to the Rockstars, a group of meerkats who once had quite the reputation for bad behavior. Under the leadership of current leader Storm, the group has toned down most of their warmongering ways, but stealing land and resources is not something any meerkat leader will take laying down. If the Rockstars were to discover them, there could be trouble.

As it turns out, the owners are not too far away. On the other side of a small hill, the Rockstars are also enjoying the summer harvest. At twenty-seven meerkats strong, the Rockstars are a match for the Isikara, except that many of their members are youngsters and this includes Storm's three pups who are only a month old. If the Rockstars were to lose, the pups would be killed. Unaware of any trouble, Storm is leading her family onward and they are getting closer and closer to discovering the intruders. As the first meerkats reach the top of the dune, one of the males spots the Isikara down below. In no time at all, the entire Rockstars are lining up for battle, while the three pups cower under a nearby bush.

Before the Rockstars can take the Isikara by surprise, they are spotted by Cosmo who quickly warns his family of the threat. As the Rockstars begin to war dance towards their rivals, Trixie must make a snap decision. There are pros and cons and the risk of serious injury and death is possible...but she decides to give it a shot and the Isikara charge into battle.

The two rival groups meet in the middle and it becomes a full-on brawl. After some time, one group finally accepts defeat and runs away. It is the Isikara. The Rockstars have saved their pups and kept this plot of land under their control.

The Isikara are shocked by their defeat, as they usually win many of the battles that they fight. Having been separated in the chaos, the group knows instinctively that they must return to the burrow. There they gather, licking their wounds and waiting to see who comes home and who will probably never be seen again. Vicky was the first one to reach the burrow and she seems to have avoided the worst of the fighting. While everyone else is shaken up, Vicky starts trying to assert herself. If Trixie does not make it home or if she returns in poor condition, this could be Vicky’s chance to seize power. 

Unfortunately for Vicky, today will not be her time to shine. Trixie soon makes an appearance and while she is scratched up, she is more than capable of holding her own against a wayward subordinate. One glare at her sister and Vicky wisely rolls onto her side in submission. As the sun begins to set, most of the Isikara have made it back. Carter and Sadie had been kept out of the fight by Star and that saved them from meeting the same fate that would have befallen Storm’s pups. But one meerkat is missing and the group waits anxiously for his arrival. Rufio has not been seen since the battle and this could be a bad sign. But maybe he is just taking his time or had gotten lost. The sun drops below the horizon and the Isikara are forced to bed down for the night. Perhaps he will be there waiting for them in the morning. 

Rain is an important part of life, no matter where on earth you go. It cleanses the air, makes the plants grow, and provides water to animals of all shapes and sizes. Sometimes rain can be a nuisance and sometimes it can be a curse that kills those caught unaware. But in the end, we all need it and its arrival marks the start of good times. Especially for a place as hot and dry as the desert.

The residents of the Kalahari are no exception, though their feelings about the water pouring from the sky are mixed. Larger animals are forced to wait it out under whatever cover they can find, but small animals like meerkats, ground squirrels, and hares are able to seek shelter underground.

This is where we find the Isikara today. It is six o'clock in the morning and most of the gang are still asleep. Meerkats hate getting wet as it drains their bodies of precious heat that must be replenished by food, which is driven underground by rain. There is no point in going out now, so Trixie and Rufio are content to snuggle up with each other and their pups. The teenagers are playing a game of hide-and-seek, and most of the others are just sleeping away. When the rain finally does stop, Trixie is the first to survey the scene. Though she cannot see it, Trixie knows that the pickings should be good and there is little time to waste. The Isikara file out of their burrow and set off at once, not even taking much time for burrow work or sunbathing.

Vicky is relieved by this quick action, for she is close to giving birth and needs all the nutrition that she can get. The storm that had passed was the first in months, and it is a sign that winter is over. The Isikara have survived another year under the rule of Trixie and Rufio, and it should be smooth sailing for now. Speaking of Rufio, a change has come over the male head of the family. After filling his belly with a few tasty goodies, Rufio is now keeping close to Trixie. With Carter and Sadie now two months old and the start of summer now upon them, Trixie is ready to mate again. Rufio must do everything in his power to ensure that he will be allowed to sire her next litter. This means switching between endless scent marking and constant grooming, but in the end, the choice is Trixie and if another suitor were to prove himself better, Rufio would be out of luck. Trixie finds his antics annoying, for she has other matters on her mind that love must wait.

As Vicky gets closer to the birth of her pups, she has started to show some alarming behaviors. Stealing food is one thing, but scent marking and overall throwing her weight around is another. This could be a warning sign that she has an aim for the top spot and if Trixie were to be sick or injured, there is a strong chance that she could be overthrown. Trixie must do something to make Vicky remember her place. Trixie decides that now is a good time and charges. As the two sisters clash in a ball of dust and fury, the rest of the group look on. This means that nobody notices the seven figures looming on the horizon. They are meerkat and they are male, their purpose for being here is to find any willing lady kat who might want to mate. The Isikara are a decent size group and there would be enough for each male to have his share...but they must be cautious.

Woodrow, Cody, Owl, Fergus, Farkle, Tucker, and Dom are strangers to the Tswalu Reserve, having come all this way from the nearby Kuruman River Reserve. Having come all this way, it would be a shame to come away with nothing.

Woodrow is the oldest male in the coalition and he is also the leader with prior roving experience, the other boys look to him for guidance. After carefully assessing the situation, Woodrow leads his band in closer. Some of the group notices, namely a few of the girls who seem intrigued by these handsome strangers. But then Rufio spots them and the Isikara changes tact. The Pretenders make a run from it and regroup at a nearby bolt hole. Their first attempt has ended in failure, but Woodrow knows that they will be back.

With the rovers gone, the Isikara can relax now. Trixie has made her point and Vicky is keeping to the edge of the family. Her pups will be born soon, but her place in the group is now uncertain. But as the group heads for home, the horizon is dark with more than just storm clouds.

 Carter and Sadie are ready to go. They have finally been deemed old enough to join the adults out in the field and there is great excitement in the air. While Rufio scent marks everything and everybody, Trixie makes sure that her pups are nice and clean, which brings up another reason why they need to get going soon. The burrow is infested with fleas and ticks due to extended use and it is time for the family to move to someplace new.

In all the excitement, nobody notices that Chloe is strangely absent. There is a strong possibility that she'd given birth during the night and if so, a burrow move would be disastrous. Unaware of her absence, Trixie sets out with the rest of the family in tow and soon they are out of sight.

Chloe finally makes an appearance and her slim belly makes it clear that she has indeed given birth. But she is surprised to find everyone gone. Everyone that is, except for Vicky who has been sitting by the burrow entrance since the Isikara left. Her romantic encounter has clearly left her pregnant and her presence here is far from having good intentions. Meerkat society is brutal, to protect their own pups it is not uncommon for a pregnant female to kill the newborn pups of a rival. Not even the pups of a matriarch are safe, which is why they often evict the problem before it has a chance to happen. For some reason, Trixie did not evict Vicky or Chloe, and now the two females stare at each other. Chloe knows why she is here and she is torn, forced into a dilemma that will not end favorably for her either way. Giving birth is a long, tiresome process and it drains a meerkat mother's energy, as does produce milk for the pups. Chloe needs to head out to find food. But doing so gives her aunt the opening she needs to kill her pups. Even if Chloe does manage to drive Vicky away, there is a great risk of leaving the litter unattended. Chloe is weak from birth, but her maternal instinct is strong enough for her to confront Vicky and try chasing the other female away. Vicky stubbornly stands her ground and the match ends in a stalemate.

It seems neither female realizes that the family will not be returning to this burrow anytime soon.

Unaware of the drama happening at the old den, Trixie and the Isikara are on the move and super busy. Their pace is slow due to the need to find food and watch out for danger, but they are making good time in Trixie's opinion and she continues to lead them further on. Carter and Sadie seem to be relishing their new freedom, scampering around after the grown-ups and getting to see and taste the elements of a meerkat life. Digging is a skill that any meerkat must-have, and it takes practice to learn the proper way to shovel earth out of your way. Carter finds a teacher in Wanda who shows him the technique, but often lets him keep the rewards. His sister Sadie, meanwhile, is proving to be an independent soul who wants to do her own thing. So far her efforts have been in vain until one older sibling takes pity. It turns out that skipping class is really not the way to get ahead in life and these two pups will need to grow up fast for soon Trixie will be ready to produce a new litter.

Back at the old den, Chloe and Vicky are not having a fun time indeed. Chloe has moved to rest in the entrance of the burrow that leads to her precious pups and she refuses to let Vicky near, any attempt being met by a flash of sharp fangs. Vicky is getting hot, bored, and terribly hungry and finally accepts that she will not be doing baby killing today. She gets up and walks out into the bush with not a single look back. Chloe is glad to see her gone, but she is concerned that the family still hasn't made it back. She wants to look for them, but can't leave her litter alone without a trusted adult to watch them. She decides to wait for just a little bit longer and retreats underground where it is both cooler and safer.

Vicky has finally found the group many miles away from the burrow and she is eager to get her head in the sand.

As afternoon gives way to evening, the Isikara comes across a burrow that could serve as a potential new burrow. It hasn't been used recently and needs some work to make it into a cozy new home, but Trixie seems to think that this will suit the family quite nicely and her family begins to make themselves at home. The old burrow is now just a distant memory and so is Chloe...if she were not to appear out of the bush just as the sun sinks below the horizon. Chloe must have realized that the group was no coming back and she chose to be with them instead of her fragile newborns. The Isikara sit for a moment longer, then head to bed. 

This is Trixie and as she comes out of the burrow to greet the day, the land around her is her manor. It is vast and currently green from the summer rains. This is a paradise to any meerkat family and Trixie knows very well that there are other groups out there that would kill for a piece of their good fortune. It takes numbers to keep the borders safe, and secure borders are a must for ensuring that her family remains happy and well-fed. The odds can be daunting for some, but Trixie is known for being a tough little kat and it is her style to tackle most challenges head-on. This can be good, but she must also take care for having too much rashness can bear grave consequences.

Fortunately, Trixie is not in this alone. At her side is a partner who has age and experience on his side, a fairly large male who is named Rufio. He may be getting up in years, but Rufio is not going to let age get him down just yet. Together Trixie and Rufio are the leaders of a group that consists of twenty-six meerkats, most of whom are their children with a few relatives mixed in. Life can be hectic in a meerkat mob, but they will all pull together in a pinch and Trixie can rely on most of them to help in her mission to build the group into a formidable force indeed. 

To do that, you must have pups and today is the big debut of Trixie's latest litter. Born three weeks ago, the two pups have spent that time tucked safely underground. Now, however, it is time for them to be brought into the light of the world beyond the den. They can only look out upon their manor, but leaving the burrow is out of the question for the time being. Lucky for Carter and Sadie, they will be left in the capable paws of two of their older sisters, Britney and Veronica.

With that, the Isikara head out to forage for the tasty goodies that can be found with only hard work and a little bit of patience. Not everyone seems to have gotten that message yet.

Not having the desire to try finding her own food, young Ruby is hoping to convince her big sister Chloe to give up her beetle larva. But Ruby is now five months old, and this means that she is more than capable of feeding herself. Her cries are ignored and her attempts to grab the prize are thwarted. Dejectedly, Ruby moves on and soon is able to catch some food on her own. Perhaps it does pay to keep trying until you get it right.

There is another reason that Chloe was unable to give in to her younger sister's demands, she is pregnant and this is stressful for two reasons. First Chloe must find enough food, but the biggest problem is this...Chloe should never have gotten pregnant in the first place. In meerkat society, all the breeding is done by the dominant pair. Any litter born to a subordinate could threaten the lives of the whole group in a number of ways. So far Trixie has not attacked her, but there is little doubt that her mother is aware of her condition and there is more than one way to deal with unwanted pups. For now, Trixie has other things on her mind, such as finding enough food to help her make milk for her pups.

While the group hunts amount the grass for bugs and other delicacies, Rufio is on guard along with his two eldest children, Cosmo and Wanda. They had managed to grab a quick bite to eat and now are on high alert for any danger or strangers. 

Chloe's predicament is actually a problem that Trixie must not ignore. The Isikara is an average size group, but most of its members are female. This is a temptation to any roving male who may be in the area, despite the risks that could come with getting caught by Rufio and the boys. If Trixie is not careful, she could lose everything that she has worked so hard to gain.

Carter and Sadie have little to trouble their minds. Their first day outside has been peaceful so far and the two pups are blissfully unaware of the danger that could come from any place, even from their own kind. While Veronica is giving the pair a midday snack, Brittany is on lookout. It is while doing so that she spots the strange meerkat lurking in the bushes. It is a male and he comes from a different family. Brittany and Veronica now watch him closely, shielding the pups as they are unsure if he is working alone or if his family is nearby. The meerkat seems to be alone and he is slowly making his way close to the burrow. Brittany and Veronica are unsure of what to do, they should get the pups underground and maybe chase the stranger off. But instinct makes them drawn to the sight of an unrelated male...in the end common sense comes out on top and the pair runs the rover off. Then return to the pups.

Unwilling to give up just yet, the roving male turns his attention elsewhere and soon locates the main group. Now that it has reached midday, the rising temperature is a sign for the meerkats to seek shade and rest until things cool down. Having been on guard duty all morning, Rufio has stepped down for the chance to rest beside his lady love. Cosmo and Wanda have moved into the shade, but they are still keeping up the watch. Positioned at the edge of the group, Wanda is the first meerkat out here to spot the pesky rover. Instead of raising the alarm, however, she watches him for a moment. Then slowly climbs down and creeps off into the long grass. He has gotten a bite and the rover is quick to escort her to somewhere private. Wanda is playing a dangerous game of her own, for she could be expelled from the group if Trixie catches the smell of rival meerkat on her fur...but Wanda may be lucky than Chloe. Wanda has been pregnant two times before and both times she had lost the litter without the stress of being evicted. It seems that her body struggles with fertility issues which could keep her safe, but would be terrible if she ever became a leader. 

After the mating, Wanda decides to head back to the burrow instead of rejoining the foraging party. If she is lucky, Brittany and Veronica could give her the means to hide the proof of her sin. 

But her beau is far from ready to call it a day on his lovemaking, he is back for a shot with another Isikara girl and he has caught the eye of Vicky. She is a younger sister of Trixie and is known to be a bit of a trouble-maker. For her sake, it would be better to just look away, but Vicky does not. She gets up and makes her way through the crowd. Trixie is away now and sees her, but oddly enough she makes no attempt to stop her sister from going after her male. Her behavior is quite strange and this could be seen as a sign of weakness. Trixie really does need to step out or else her days as leader of the Isikara could be numbered. 

Meet the Isikara Meerkats

Trixie (played by Neferkawit): Dominant Female

Rufio: Dominant Male

Wanda (played by Merit)

Cosmo (played by Kha)

Timmy (played by Sunu)

Britney (played by Nefertiti)

Chloe (played by Jennat)

Vicky (played by Tera)

Veronica  (played by Shepseheret)

Star (played by Bithiah)

Twinkle (played by Memnet)

Poof (played by Moses)

Sparky (played by Seti)

Tootie (played by Tuya)

Maryann (played by Meritaten)

Molly (played by Meketaten)

Alyssa (played by Ankhesenamun)

Emily (played by Neferneferuaten Tasherit)

Piper (played by Neferneferure)

Silena (played by Setepenre)

Chip (played by Aleron)

Tiffany (played by Raya)

Serena (played by Sakina)

Julius

Ruby

Amos

And...the curious pups.

This is Rise of the Dynasty, Isikara Style.