Hushed Willows in the hollow heartland

His nose and ears worked just fine, so Tambourine nodded, feeling confident that he could at least cover the basics. Mostly he figured he would observe Silas and take his cues from the older boy. In fact, he did that now. As Silas squared off with the stretch of woods just in front of them, Tambourine licked his lips and watched him carefully, mimicking his stance, from the arch of his head to the stiffness of his tail. When he figured he'd nailed it, he looked down at himself and smiled with satisfaction. He definitely looked the part. So far, so good.

"Ready whenever you are," he said gamely.