Chapter Three

 Two weeks have gone by and the Valentine pups are ready to make their debut. Everyone gathers around the burrow entrance and soon they are rewarded with the appearance of a tiny face. With her family there to encourage her, the pup crawls up the slope and gets her first look at the outside world. A few minutes later and another pup comes out to join her sister.  Two pups, both female. Aphrodite could not be any happier as in time they will grow up and help with future litters. Fitting given the strain that has been on Aphrodite and Harmonia to keep the pair fed. The Valentine can't stay around spoiling the pups forever, so Aphrodite turns the pups over to Harmonia and leads the family out to forage. 

There is a special place that lies between the territories of both the Valentine Mob and the Sun Mob. It is a water trough that is constantly filled with water so that wild animals can always quench their thirst, even in the middle of the dry season. Meerkats get most of their moisture from the foods they eat, but drinking plain water is something that none would be foolish enough to pass up. This makes the waterhole a very valuable spot, and fights to break out over it are not uncommon. In the past, the Valentine usually had the upper hand, but with four of their strongest members missing in action, the odds could go either way.

Unfortunately for Aphrodite and her gang, the Sun Mob is already there. Most of the meerkats have already drunk their fill and were finding other ways to kill time. While some catch some rays, others are enjoying a rousing game of hide and seek. Even Circe is letting down her hair and is enjoying some quality time with her mate. Their peaceful morning is about to be rudely interrupted by an alarm call from Cassiphone. The Sun immediately stop what they are doing and runs to Circe in order to regroup. The Valentine spotted them and start to war dance. In the past, the Sun would give way, but they notice the group doesn't seem quite as big as usual and this gives Circe the courage to stand her ground. For a while both groups try to intimidate each other, hoping to avoid an actual fight that could end badly with injuries and even death. Neither family is backing down and so they must fight! 

For probably the first time ever, the Valentine are the ones to back down. As the last member of the enemy mob vanishes into the distance, the Sun's victory is short-lived. Meerkats are missing, but there are no dead bodies laying in the sand. That is a good sign, maybe the others will reappear back at the burrow. First, there is Circe, then Telemachus appears. It is ages before Psyche finally turns out. The three meerkats wait, but none of the other four appear. Instead, they have gathered at a different burrow and don't seem in any hurry to rejoin their leaders. Telegonus seems to be tired of living in his half-brother's shadow and is quick to assert him by scent-marking the area and three females. It looks like a new group is being formed, with could end badly for the trio that they have left behind.

In the days and weeks that follow, all three mobs are settling into a new normal. Telegonus's time as the dominant male was brief, he had been ousted by the four Valentine males and disappeared without a trace. Yet he does live on for Penelope had been pregnant with his pups and so far his son Italus is still alive and well. Penelope's own time as leader was also short, for history repeated itself with her being attacked and evicted by Cassiphone. She had also disappeared, leaving her sole pup to be raised by the rest of the group. So far none of the four new males have established dominance yet, though Eros does not seem interested in joining the fight. Perhaps he is not quite ready to settle down yet, or maybe he is simply waiting for the right girl to come along.

Morning again and once more Anteros, Himeros, and Hermaphroditus are going at it. Each male wants to win because then he gets the privilege of mating freely with the boss. Cassiphone and Roma have been paying close attention and it is clear that each female has her own champion. Cassiphone seems more into Anteros, while Roma and Himeros have been seen together alone a few times already. So far neither female has gotten pregnant, but it might be only a matter of time. While his brothers fight it out amongst themselves, Eros is keeping watch as somebody needs to be the responsible one here. Good thing he's on the case because Eros is the one who spots trouble in the form of three meerkats on the horizon.

Turns out the three characters are none other than the missing members of their old family, with five new additions that have so far gone unnoticed. It looks like Circe finally has gotten lucky and gave birth to a litter of pups who not only survived until emergence but are now going on their first foraging trip. There are seven pups in total, all female: Anthousa, Eritha, Diona, Roxana, Erinna, Kleio, and Damalis. Unfortunately for Circe, the splinter group has been together long enough to successfully raise a litter of pups, even if they have only one to show for it. There will be no joyous family reunion here and if the splinter group gets ahold of the pups, they will most certainly be killed. 

As much as Circe would love to give her two eldest daughters a piece of her mind, she is wise enough to know the odds are not in her favor. Psyche has already reached this conclusion and quietly gathers the pups and leads them away. The Sun has one advantage here, that being the tall grass makes it almost impossible to see except for the burrow which is like an island in a sea of golden brown. 

Despite this fact, Cassiphone rallies her troop and attempts to lead a charge toward her parents and former leaders. Her plan quickly falls apart and the splinter group becomes lost and confused. 

Circe and Telemachus slip away unseen.

Psyche keeps her tiny charges going forward, only stopping every now and then to give them a little break. The tall grass has saved them, yes, but it can also spell the end. In the end Psyche’s push to keep going pays off, the grass ends and the eight meerkats have found a bolt hole. The pups all drop down in the shade and most are asleep within minutes. Psyche checks over each one carefully, ensuring that all seven are accounted for. They are all here and she takes the moment to relax a little, yet is still being watchful.

Her patience is soon rewarded, for Telemachus finally appears and greets his older daughter and then younger children. There is no sign of Circe yet, but hopefully, she will turn up soon. 

Unknown to all nine meerkats is the fact that Circe will not be joining them ever again. Though she had left the battlefield with Telemachus, the pair had become separated and were unable to locate each other. When Circe finally found a way out of the tall grass, she had walked straight into trouble. The Valentine Mob were there and they quickly took the offensive. One meerkat against five is not favorable odds and while Circe was able to escape her attackers, her wounds would prove to be fatal. She went down a bolt hole and never came back up.

Telemachus and Psyche have no way of knowing that Circe is dead or how she died. When her absence goes on for days and weeks, they finally come to the conclusion that she is not coming back. 

Telemachus is crushed for he has lost his mate and the mother of his children. His future is now full of uncertainty and whatever happens, will affect the family that he has left.

 With Circe dead, Psyche is now officially in charge as the dominant female. She has a tough road ahead of her in regards to keeping all seven pups alive, plus she will soon have to think about her own future in regards to finding a mate and having children to keep things going. It is all so daunting, but at least she has her dear old dad here to help for a little while. 

Sometimes you just have to take what you have been given and try to roll with it to the best of your abilities.