Dragoncrest Cliffs fiskers don't make noise when they start up, just so you know

She squealed when her mother bent downward, not to punish her but to tickle her (same difference?). Bat instinctively swatted at the cold nose that descended on her pale underside and attempted an alligator roll to escape. She managed—probably because a smiling Wildfire let her—but even as the Goufa attempted to dart, something clasped the tip of her little slate tail. She flopped backward theatrically and then shot an accusatory glance over one tiny shoulder blade.

The Feisripa grinned back at her, then said, "You can play out here, just don't run off or I'll never let you out again." Too young to recognize the hyperbole, Bat's ginormous ears momentarily flattened, though she perked up again quite quickly when she realized this meant she could explore the small, grassy space just beside the downed tree her family called home.

But this would be so much more fun with some company. "Kee! Kee! Tus!" Bat chirped, summoning each of her litter mates (unaware that her nicknames for Kiwi and Silkie were entirely identical). Only @Kiwi reacted, bouncing out of the fallen log and tumbling into the grass beside her sister. Bat immediately pounced, tackling the cocoa girl and pinning her before glancing up and peering at the den's mouth. Where were their brothers?