Moonspear between the bars

That the place they found would be hers set her tail to wagging. A place on the mountain that would be all hers and no one else’s—it was almost too good to be true! Of course, she’d have to tell mama—she couldn’t keep anything from her or Charon—but who else? Her mysterious darkling of a brother, perhaps? He might like to know. Oh, she’d figure out all of the details later. For now, she focused back on the task at hand: actually finding a hideaway that she could tell others about.

When papa didn’t take the lead, she stalled momentarily, brows pinched together with obvious confusion. Didn’t he want to lead the way? Wasn’t that what papas were supposed to do? She waited a bit longer to see if he might change his mind but, ultimately, it seemed as if she were to decide which way they went. Gradually, the uncertainty faded from her eyes and she wagged her tail again before proceeding forward, determined to both find a place and impress Charon with the navigational skills that she totally lacked.

Yama trotted northward, sights set on the peaks of the mountain. Whilst she herself was not too fond of the cold that came with the higher altitudes, she figured it might be better hidden that way—more of a secret! But she hardly made it up the first incline before her eyes narrowed in on what she thought could be a good Special Place; the opening was small and the actual depth unknown, but its placement in the ground seemed ideal. “Papa, look!” she exclaimed, rushing over to point it out. What she didn’t quite realise, however, was that the opening was scarcely big enough for her to fit through, let alone her father. That, and the fresh scent of a badger—which had likely dug the hole out to begin with—that clouded the hideaway and its surrounding area. “Do you think anyone else would be able to find this?” she asked, remaining oblivious. It was just so difficult to utilise her sense of smell when excited!