If he hadn’t been sleeping on the edge of the pile Smokey wouldn’t have heard the slight sluffing carrying through the tunnels of the burrow system. He groaned and opened one pallid gray-blue eye, assuming that it was one of his pups, rousing from a dream. He sniffed and blinked in the darkness as he... Continue Reading →
Core hunched into herself, off to the side of the heartmound as the Blazes began their day. While some of their number stood sunning themselves, their dark chest fur soaking in the dawn sun, the rest were already warmed and working. She spotted Hero, who had returned some days before, shoveling out a burrow entrance,... Continue Reading →
Come visit me, The author of The Meer: Perilous Ground, at Mr. Bookman in Franklin, PA on Saturday July 3rd from 1-5 Mr. Bookman - Book Sales and Assistance for Local Libraries (mrbookmans.com) I'll be signing books and answering any questions you may have! And don't forget the amazing sale going on right now! (2)... Continue Reading →
The desert is perilous ground, Hero remembered explaining that to his last litter of pups when they were small, governed by the sand and the sun, assisted by the wind and the weather. We are temporary residents in our homeland, hunted by fellow survivors of the dunes. There is danger at every turn. So, be... Continue Reading →
Ash backed against the heartmound, her ears ringing from her oldest son’s alarm calls that still pierced the evening with frantic precision. The predators materializing from the long, brittle grass were unimpressed. They blinked amber-orange eyes at the frozen meer, there were at least six pairs of them. Pointy snouts with twitching dusky noses pushed... Continue Reading →
The Creation Part One Star awoke in darkness. The chamber was warm and tight. He couldn’t see anything but the milky scent coming from the furry flank he nestled against comforted him. He wriggled closer, pushing his mother’s paw, trying to reach her belly. He heard her sigh and felt her roll onto her side.... Continue Reading →
“I dare you to go see what’s rustling those bushes over there, Ghost.” Flower whispered in his ear. A tree span away, a thicket of dense brambles swayed and crackled back and forth. Beside the thicket was an ashen tree, the base still alive with brown healthy roots and the top branches dead and black.... Continue Reading →
Dart crouched by the burrow entrance, wondering whether he should go in. His black tail tip twitched as he stared into the dark, yawning hole, waiting for movement to stir in the shadows. The sharp scent of crushed sage and sorrel clung to him. He rolled in a thicket of the plants before coming back... Continue Reading →
Genet tried not to whimper as Grasstail passed right by her hiding spot. Her fur stood on end and her earthy orange eyes flashed with fear. Grasstail was one of Bull’s most strict enforcers and she didn’t know what he would do to her if she was caught out of the sleep chamber after high... Continue Reading →
The Shifting World Part 6 Dapple studied the considerable number of meer before him, almost too many to count. Seasons had passed since anyone last saw Bringer, but with the cobra’s disappearance First Family’s problems didn’t go away. The dry season was lingering this year, the wet season should have started three moons ago. Instead,... Continue Reading →
The Shifting World Part 5 A dark silhouette cut an imposing shadow in the threads of the full moon. A canid form padded through the thicket, steps softer than the breeze only a whisper against the thistles. The shadows parted to welcome the jackal as she leapt atop the stone, ears pricked, and muzzle raised.... Continue Reading →
Suri sat in the mouth of the tunnel; head tilted up to watch the sky. Her shoulders were hunched in thought and her tail was stiff at her side. She had only been accepted as a full member of the Powers a few moons ago. She was young and in her prime. She was a... Continue Reading →
Wildcat used his claws to roll the centipede in the sand, trying to rub off its awful secretions. The creature waved its many legs too slow and once he was sure that it was edible, he popped its head into his mouth. With a mighty crunch and a twist of his jaw he severed the... Continue Reading →
The Shifting World Part 4 Patch shivered in the early dawn shadows. He was creeping from rock to rock, ducking every time he heard the scrape of scales on stone. The air was dusty, and the soil was gritty beneath his paw pads. His heart thundered in his ears and his tail quivered. He huddled... Continue Reading →
The Shifting World Part 3 Galaxy crouched near the center of the clearing, his limbs growing stiff as they waited. Nova rested on his one side and his understudy, Dapple, to his other. The sun was creeping upwards, and they had been there since dawn. Still the fox hadn’t shown his face. Nova stood up... Continue Reading →
The Shifting World Part 2 Nova was dreaming. She sensed open space and wind soaring high above. The sky was cloudless and starry. The claw-pricks of light scattered above her. She stared at them in wonder for they were closer than normal. She stretched her neck and raised her snout wishing that she could touch... Continue Reading →
The Shifting World Part 1 Listener was sleeping, but it looked far from peaceful. His fur was rumpled, his pelt matted, he had a few swelling ticks on his muzzle that he hadn’t bothered to scrape off, and he was whimpering in his dreams. A sad smile tugged at Comet’s lips as she stepped towards... Continue Reading →
The Broken Oath Part 6 Listener padded into the hollow tree on silent paws. His big, bat-like ears twitched. He regarded the blood-spattered trunk as if uncomprehending. The sound of scales scraping the ground echoed in the silence. He glanced over as Bringer paused at his side. “They’re dead.” He murmured. His voice was muted,... Continue Reading →
The Broken Oath Part 5 Star trembled in the shade of the tree despite the heat of high sun. Greatwing shuffled his wings beside the meer and glanced up the hollow trunk. He would not meet Star’s gaze. The Firstbloods had been meeting in this for countless moons, but this was unlike any other meeting... Continue Reading →
The Broken Oath Part 4 The wild cat crouched in the shadowed gully of a shallow trench. Her dark striped pelt twitched as a fly buzzed about her head. She ignored it; her pale green gaze focused on the hare. The dun-colored rabbit picked through the grass at the top of the trench. She waggled... Continue Reading →
The Broken Oath Part 3 The gray goshawk with a stark yellow beak and white belly clenched her talons into the fraying bark of the matopi tree. The green leaves plump and full from the plentiful wet season fluttered near her blue eyes and she shifted her position in annoyance. As the heartbeats ticked by,... Continue Reading →
The Broken Oath Part 2 The raptor glided on the wind, his flight feathers curved and spread to catch the updraft. From his vantage point he could see the rolling dunes of the desert sprawling towards the setting sun. Far beneath the eagle owl his sharp gaze made out the undulating stripes of a herd... Continue Reading →
The Broken Oath Part 1 Death Bringer drew his coils tighter around him, his thin tongue flickering out of his mouth to taste the air. It was just before dawn and the sky was still a dark azure. He lifted his head as the breeze carried the scent of a meer. He recognized that scent.... Continue Reading →
The full moon hung low in the dark sky, silhouetting Queen as she sat upon the Hill. Topside at the Hill Burrow was the whole Alphas family. Pride stood close to the Hill’s base and stared up at his mate, their youngest daughter Brightlight, by his side. The little three moon old pup was shaking... Continue Reading →
Swift stood on her hindlegs and scanned the terrain with her sharp cobalt eyes. She scented the breeze as it whisked past her. No sight or scent of predators. Her gaze fell on the figure of her father, his head submerged in a hole. He dragged out a large millipede and proceeded to gorge on... Continue Reading →
Bull stood in the center of the group, all eyes on him as he scanned the crowd. His breaths were heavy, as if he had just finished a fight, and his broad shoulders squared. His face bore several small scars from a life of scraping. He had fought for every scrap of power he held.... Continue Reading →
The Alphas are one of the most prominent meer families in the desert. They are a medium sized family, with over twenty members. They live in the heart of the Sunlands, with neighbors on each of their borders. The Alphas were founded by the current dominant female, Queen, when she was evicted from her birth... Continue Reading →
Every breath that Cloud drew was a struggle. The skin beneath her fur burned with heat, her fever insatiable. The puncture wound in her side reeked of infection. She had earned it in a skirmish with the Powers. She had no choice, she had to drive them out of Delta territory. That had been almost... Continue Reading →
Millie waited by the door, her silky black pelt fluffed with anticipation. She could hear the patering of little footsteps and ringing laughter floating down the hallway. She whisked her tail impatiently. This was her favorite night of the year, Halloween was her human's word for it, for this was the night that she would... Continue Reading →
Chaser padded beside his litter sister Hunter and cast a last glance back at the burrow. There was no moon that night, so they had to find their way by starlight. “Don’t worry.” Hunter said, bumping his shoulder. “You’ll be fine. I’m sure that The Mimic isn’t even out tonight.” Chaser groaned. “Why’d you have... Continue Reading →
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The Meer Series 