Broken Antler Fen kabhi khushi, kabhi gham

His face lit up at the question and Ani quickly realized she had touched on something very important to him. Her smile mirrored his own as he spoke enthusiastically about his mother tongue. Her cheeks ached when Adi translated the pet names.

I’m not sure, she replied to his question, bounding over the same log with ease and sticking the landing, but I want to hear more about yours. How do I say ‘father’? Perhaps a title from his native language would serve better than “Daddy Adi.”

Before Adi could answer her, Ani frowned suddenly and looked down at her feet. They were sinking into the ground, which was moist and spongy. Weird! She had never experienced anything quite like it. She bent down to sniff, drawing the scents of damp earth and moss into her nose.