Moonspear Starbright

Treepie couldn’t wait to meet Elentari’s new babies. @Sialuk explained that the newborns were not only quite fragile, they were also blind, deaf and dumb. Besides, she said, the new parents needed some time to bond with them before the rest of the family entered the picture. She told Pie to be patient.

But the precocious little calico knew the way to the other woman’s ulaq. They pretended to chase a grasshopper through the grass before slipping away along the trail leading to Elentari’s whelping den. They approached slowly, sniffing the air. They marveled at the new smells, smiling and twitching their tail.

Aya! they called out to the den’s residents. It’s me, Pie! I want to see the babies!