Nova Peak IV

the world was new, and kaldros had only just begun to know it.
he smelled snow, and milk, and the warmth of his mother wrapped around him like the sun itself. her heartbeat was his rhythm, her fur his fortress. he knew nothing beyond her shape, her sound, her scent.
but then—another. a different softness, gentle but not known. he felt it before he saw it. a presence, a breath on the air. it made his tiny ears twitch.
his eyes—blue, unfocused—blinked slow and wide. the white woman crouched low, and though he did not yet know danger, he knew kindness. he felt it. and he wiggled.
slow, clumsy. his belly dragged along the den floor. but he moved. short legs working with quiet purpose as he squirmed toward her, letting out a soft, curious squeak.
he did not fear her.
kaldros simply wanted to know who she was.