Ocean's Breath Plateau Out on the mira

His father's voice had not roused him, but Katmai came awake when someone else came near. He was startled for all of a moment before the warm, welcome scent of his mother washed over him. Then he was whimpering, too, and pressing closer to receive his own kisses. He was insistent for a short time before exhaustion overwhelmed him once more, and his young body went slack, sprawled across the forelegs of both parents and wedged as tight as possible against their chests. He was almost too big for it, now — but he was still just a boy. Right now, especially, he was just a boy who had missed his mother quite terribly during a very frightening stretch of time.

He slept hard and deep, and for the first time in a long time, he did not dream.