Sun Mote Copse i could do this with my eyes closed

Skipjack leaned against the familiar solidity of his mother’s right foreleg as he sniffed the air. Meerkat and Towhee had brought him and @Otter to someplace called Orca’s Forest today to explore a bit. Since it was brand new to him, he would need guidance at first, though the little boy had already proven quite adaptive when it came to his lack of sight.

Udder! he called out as he took his first tentative step forward, hoping to pinpoint her location.

Another new place! Otter could hardly contain her excitement as they approached the forest. Amamamama! she babbled as she trotted along, pleased as could be, and took in all the new sights and smells.

When they arrived and were allowed to explore, Otter rushed towards a log with a butterfly on it. Ooooo! she cooed, approaching without caution and causing the bug to fly away before she even reached it. She stopped and watched as it flew away, feeling suddenly sad. Buh, she said with a frown as her tail and ears fell.

This all happened in a matter of a minute, and when Skipjack called out, Otter glanced over her shoulder at him. Ippy? she replied, her tone curious as she observed him. He hadn't gotten as far as she had, and so she turned and took a step towards him before calling again: Ippy!

He pointed his little snoot in the direction he thought she’d gone, based on some inarticulate noises a few yards ahead. Skipjack took another slow step, though the third was a little swifter when Otter returned his call. With cautious confidence, he jogged toward her, Meerkat keeping pace beside him.

When she warned him of a log ahead, Skipjack halted. He made a tsk noise, then ventured forward with his muzzle thrust out ahead of him. He first bumped into Otter—oh so familiar and welcoming—and then nosed past her until he made contact with the log.

Yog! he shouted, then turned his head to ask, Udder! June… yog?

Otter stumbled as Skipjack bumped into her, but thankfully didn't fall. Once she was steady on her paws again, she watched as her brother made contact with the log. She bounded after him and their mother, stopping at his side and gently nudging his cheek with her snout.

Yog! she echoed, looking at him with excited eyes. She then turned to Meerkat, and asked: Ippy 'n Udder onna yog?

When Otter’s nose pressed against his cheek, he turned to nip fondly at her nose before resuming his exploration of the log. When he was fairly confident he understood the general dimensions of it, he reared onto his hind legs, forefeet planted on its damp, mossy bark.

Unaware that his litter mate’s question was directed at their mother, Skip answered, Yog, Udder! Fee!

Behind him, he heard their mother sound out the word “log” (and, unbeknownst to him, sign it too), then mention it might even be the place where she’d been born. It came out like a question, her voice drifting in a way that told Skip she’d turned her head. He heard grandma say something a bit further behind them.

But he wasn’t really paying attention to their conversation. Skip’s tail wiggled as he thumped one forepaw, then the other, on the hollow wood. It made a delightful sound!

When Meerkat sounded out the word and signed it, Otter watched with a wide-eyed stare. Yooooooooog? Yog? she attempted speaking first and then followed up with a try at signing. -Log?- She was far more successful at the latter; it was easier for her to move her paws than mimic how her mother's mouth moved.

When Skipjack made a noise, she returned to her brother, the log, and the delightful noise. Oooooo! she cooed as she mimicked her brother and whacked her paw against the hollow trunk. Ippy ice! she complimented.  Ippy boop! she invited, drumming her paws against the wood again.

Yog, Skipjack chimed in just to agree with his sister’s repetition of the word. And when she joined him in drumming on the wood, he punctuated every strike of his little foot with a rallying cry of, Yog! Yog! YYYOOOGGG!

His attention span was as short as any youngster’s, though, and soon he tired of making music. Skip pushed off the log back onto all fours, turning in the direction opposite of Otter. With one flank pressing gently into the fuzzy bark of the log, he roamed to the other end.

There, he discovered an open space that made him think of the doorway of The Taigh. Skipjack felt around with his nose and toes, sensing an enclosed space of some sort. He craned his neck inside the log, which smelled rather fusty.

Udder, he said, just trying to get her attention, and did a little hop of surprise when his voice boomed back at him from the log’s hollow interior.

Like Skipjack, Otter's attention span was minuscule. So when he called her name, she stopped her drumming and pushed off against the log so that she could find him. When she did, she was impressed with what she saw; the log was hollow and spacious enough for the two children to explore.

Ippy! she shrieked, jumping a step back as her voice bounced off the walls. She slunk to the ground then, her ears pinning back and her eyes wide as she looked up to her brother. Ippy owwie ... she whined, her voice softer.

Once he recovered from his initial startle, Skipjack geared up to say his sister’s name a second time, intrigued by the strange acoustics. But then she was there, shrieking, the sound of it amplified in the small space.

He didn’t hear her whine because he was too busy bursting into tears himself. The volume had been quite the shock, actually hurting his ears! Big, fat tears welled in the little boy’s sightless eyes.

Meerkat was quick to swoop in and soothe both her children. Towhee came over too. Skip reached blindly and grabbed onto whoever was closest, burying his tearful face against her leg.

Otter was distraught to see Skipjack cry—especially when it was her fault! While the adults rushed to their aid, she watched her brother, and soon she began to cry. It was an explosive wail, coupled with crocodile tears and a quivering lip, and she continued to let everything out as she army-crawled towards her brother.

Ippy ... she cried between gasping breaths as she looked up at him. Ippy ... 'kay??

He flinched when his sister wailed again. It didn’t hurt this time, though it still agitated him. Even when she cried his name, he only pressed his face harder against Towhee’s leg and turned from Otter.

He heard Meerkat make a shushing noise right before she said his sister’s name. Skip peeked out one teary eye to see their mother trying to console the weeping Otter. He just hoped she would succeed, so she would stop making such jarring noises!

A soothing weight tucked against his back and his wet eyes turned upward as if he sensed Towhee peering down at him. He confirmed this by reaching up to touch noses with her. His tail gave a weak thump.

While Towhee tended to Skipjack, Otter clung to Meerkat and watched her brother through teary eyes. He didn't respond to her—though she saw him peek!—and soon, her attention was on their mother.

Distraught, tired, and unsure of what to do, she continued to cry. She buried herself into Meerkat's leg and sobbed; overstimulated was an understatement.

Towhee’s paw soon left his back, followed by the retreat of her nose. Skipjack whined a little under his breath as his grandmother signed and spoke something over his head: -“N-A-P-T-I-M-E?”-

Meerkat made a sound of agreement. Then Skipjack found himself being shuffled gently by his grandmother’s paws. He thought about resisting and might have done if it was his mother. But since it was Towhee, he fell into step just beside her.

At some point on their journey back to the den, Skip grew rather weary. His grandma must have sensed it because he felt a pinch at his nape. The next thing he knew, he was being carried, then tucked into his familiar blankets beside his sister.

Despite their discord moments before, the little boy immediately reached for Otter. He buried his wee face in her back and snuggled the rest of his body around hers, loosing a faint whimper as he drifted off to sleep.