Sun Mote Copse When I tell you, a cat must have THREE DIFFERENT NAMES.

How curious. Alyx's imagination was quick to cook up the idea of what water in trees might look like, but as she inspected the canopy, she could see no hanging globes of water on the branches where the leaves ought to be. There was no water at all, as far as she could tell, but nevertheless when she returned to her splashing, another heavy droplet plonked onto her head.

Hey! she told the tree, exasperated. You stoppit, dum-dum tree! Water's for th'sky an' th'ground, not dum-dum trees! How astonished she would be if she ever learned that trees drank huge quantities of water out of the ground each and every day. The tree had nothing to say for itself, of course. Alyx nevertheless nodded assertively, as if accepting an unheard response, but then a third droplet hit her on the nose and she snarled bodily at it.

Only to be distracted by Wraen. Huh? she said aloud, squinting at the tree before realizing that the voice had come from behind, not in front. Oh, hi! said the lone twin as she whirled around to face her visitor. The Sovereign was familiar, but not yet established as a figure of authority in Alyx's life, so in the cub's demeanour, there was no acknowledgement of Wraen's rank. She met the woman like she would any friend, ears perked and tail waving just over her hindquarters, having thus far existed outside the hierarchy of the pack. Perhaps a lesson in pack dynamics was due? Because Alyx was blissfully ignorant. Whatcha doin'? I's tellin' this tree t'stop spittin' on me, but it won't.