Three weeks after giving birth, Trixie's latest litter is ready to meet the family in the world outside of the burrow entrance. The group has done a good job in caring for them, and it does pay that two familiar faces can count themselves as part of the family fold. Tiffany and Serena are back, and both sisters are definitely keeping their heads low whenever the boss is around.
Their slender figures are proof of what had happened after Trixie had kicked them out. The stress of the eviction had caused Tiffany to miscarry her litter, while Serena had given birth but the litter was quickly lost. Not only that but Noah and Enki had grown tired of them and returned to the Isikara after a roving adventure.
The pair had followed the Isikara closely, though Trixie would not allow them near until she had given birth and the sisters would no longer be a threat to her pups. Once the first critical hours had passed, Trixie had welcomed them back with fairly open arms, and that had been that.
The Isikara were back to being twelve-strong, and now with the five new pups who made their appearance one by one, the group now numbers seventeen. They are big enough to take on Jaco's Dune, but not until the pups are old enough to fight and not risk being killed for being the easier target.
For now Beetle, Cool Breeze, Kopa, Inyibiba, and White Elephant will have their own adventures here at the burrow under the watchful eye of the babysitters. Today Stein and Kat are on babysitter duty and they might find five pups a bit challenging.
With everything under control here, Trixie and the rest of the group set off. As it often does, time passes slowly for the babysitters. But the pups seem to be in high spirits and clearly enjoy their newfound freedom. When the five finally do tucker themselves out, Kat herds them belowground, then sits with her brother.
After a while, Kat approaches her brother and begins to groom him. It is not only a good way to keep fleas and ticks at bay, but also is good bonding between family members in a mob. Stein is ready to return the favor when something suddenly catches his eye. Kat is immediately alert and together they look off into the distance. Three figures are slowly approaching the borrow and at first glance, it might be roving males. Stein is ready for a fight, but it is not male meerkats who are making their way closer by the minute, but females. A trio of females who were probably evicted from their own group. There is nothing here for them except a burrow and a male who could be a potential mate, Stein seems unsure of what to do now, but Kat is already taking action, digging and scent marking the area around the burrow. The three meerkats pause, then wisely decide to retreat. But to the shock of Kat, her brother runs after them.
Kat is not pleased and decides that maybe things will be easier if she keeps the pups down below. They could not possibly get into any trouble, right?
When the Isikara returns home, it is early in the evening and everyone is exhausted and yet satisfied. Trixie feeds her pups and gives each one a good groom, then settles back to relax before bed. Nobody seems to notice that Stein is still missing, but hopefully, he will be home by tomorrow morning. Night travel is not a good idea for a meerkat who can see even less well in the dark. With a single bark, Trixie leads her latest brood underground and the rest of the group follows as night falls upon the desert.
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