Roleplay- 23rd October

Dominic looks around. He didn't think pups should fight, not knowing he had the same opinion as Springer.

Streak finally makes it over the border, followed by Flurry. The two stay together and try to make their way back to the burrow.

The martial eagle finally flies away and Peachy cautiously leaves the safty of the bush. She rises up on her hind legs and scans the area nervously. It was a close call but it won't be the last predator encounter she'll face if she continues to be on her own.

Running Star sticks to the cover of bushes as she slowly makes her way back towards the burrow. Alone and badly injured she's easy prey if she's caught out in the open by a predator so her best bet to safely make it home is to stick to the shelter of trees and bushes.

Stripe sits up nervously, scanning the area for danger. She was nervous after the fight and losing Running Star.
Jack is lying down in the shade, oblvious to everything. Bruno sits by him.
Angel sits up, keeping an eye out for Jay.

Running Star starts to feel faint so she decides to take a quick break under neathe of a large bush but darkness is closing in fast. She MUST keep going if she is to make it back to the burrow before it becomes pitch black but the sun has already set. It looks like she won't be able to make it home tonight. Running Star whimpers and looks around nervously. The strang noises of the evening are making her uneasy. She's now left with no choice but to search for a bolthole to spend the night in.

On the other side of Zipper's territory, evicted female Peachy has found herself a bolthole to spend the night in. It's the only one in the area so she's hoping that it doesn't hold any unwanted surprises. She cautiously crawls into the bolthole to check for predators. She scours through the tunnel thoroughly. Suddenly she comes to a dead end. It appears to be a small bolthole with only one tunnel but there seems to be no sign of predators occupying it. Peachy sighs in relief. She'll be staying here tonight.

Faith wakes up and looks around. She lookd out the burrow to see the Zippers haven't come home yet. She looks around warily and starts to get worried. It was night now. Had she and Alfonso been forgotten.

Alfonso awakens from his nap with a stretch and a yawn. He opens his eye wider now that he's fully awake. The sound of silence is now starting bother him so he follows Faith above ground to see if the Zippers have returned home. As he exits the burrow, he finds that there's no one above ground and becomes worried. Darkness is upon them and the Zippers are nowhere in sight. Has something bad happened to them? Alfonso glances around with a concerned frown.

Faith shakes her head. They surely couldn't have been left behind. Nothing could have happened so suddenly either. She starts feeling stressed. The last time this happened to her, she never saw her family. She hoped the same thing didn't happen to her and Alfonso.

Stripe looks to the sky nervously. They should be heading back. She looks around the group, to see if anyone would lead them home.

Alfonso sounds soft but distressed churrs as he anxiously swivels his small head in every direction. It's dusk and there's still no sign of the Zippers returning. This situation reminds Alfonso of when he, his mother and his sister were on their own. They'd spend many dangerous nights alone hoping and preying that night time predators don't sniff them out and try to dig them out of their safe bolthole shelter. Alfonso whimpers. He doesn't want to experiance a night like that ever again. Alfonso looks to Faith. Should they risk heading out to find them in the darkness?

Faith shakes her head. As dangerous as it was to stay, it was worse to go out there. Not only are there predators, but the fact that she only had three legs could put Alfonso in trouble if she's hurt.

Alfonso nods in agreement. They wouldn't stand a chance if they headed out now to search for the rest of the group. A pup and a meerkat with 3 legs would make easy targets for a predator that just happens to cross paths with them. He sighs. They can only hope that the Zippers return before the night is over.

Faith nods and rests her head on her paws.

Alfonso plops down on his haunches and looks around expectingly hopeful.

Faith also looks around in the hope that they might return.

Alfonso shutters at the sound of a black maned lion's distant echoing roar. He worries the Zippers could be in danger if they haven't seeked shelter.

Stripe, who was very anxious now, picks up Angel and heads towards the burrow.
Jack bounds up and follows. Bruno pauses, but also follows.

Faith sits with Alfonso, also spooked by the lion's roar.

Streak and Flurry stand on their hind legs, hoping to protect the group.

Alfonso presses into Faith's fur in fear and for protection. He glances over his shoulder and gazes at the burrow entrance tempted to dash into the burrow for safty but he refuses to go inside until he sees the Zippers return home.

Faith also waits. She would only go below if a threat appeared.

Alfonso scans the horizon hoping that the Zippers will appear at any minute.

Before long, Stripe had the home burrow in sight. She paused, scanning the area to make sure it was safe.
Jack bounded forwarded, chirping happily to Faith and Alfonso.

Alfonso squeals in relieved joy when he sees Stripe and Jack returning. He bounds over to them happy to see that the Zippers are starting to return home safely.

Stripe jumped slightly when she hears Alfonso squeal, but she soon calms down. She puts Angel down.
Jack chirps happily at Alfonso.