Moonspear intervals of twelve seconds

The woman had silver fur, like Mintaka, but her eyes were the color of pine trees. Still, her excitement was contagious, and the girl found her tail wagging and her ears angling forward when Keres tapped her paws on the ground.

Father's sister? A relative! Mintaka bounced a bit, bypassing the squirrel for now - surely it was just sleeping - and headbutted Keres in the chest in greeting. She was a bit clumsy, as the cold impaired her fine motor skills, but she copied the tippy taps of her aunt's feet with her own.

"I'm Minty!" she announced, grinning up at the woman. Her voice was slightly stuffy. "You like to dance?" she questioned, referring to the tapping.