Ankyra Sound i keep on dancing through the quicksand

Her eyes dropped back to the surrounding fog when she heard a noise nearby. Treepie’s ears pricked as she attempted to identify it. It sounded like something was scuttling out there. She had only recently glimpsed her first live crab, much nearer to the water. She didn’t think they came this far inland—how could they?—but that was what she pictured as she listened.

It quickly dawned on her that whatever was making these sounds was much larger than a crab. Pie’s skin suddenly began crawling as Quail’s talk of “funny-looking beasts” leaped unbidden to the forefront of her mind. Her spine arched at the mere thought, every blade of fur along her body standing on end as the sound came closer… and closer… and closer…

Nope, Tiuttuk said, swiveling and running full-speed back to the den, the mists curling and whirling in her wake.

The sight of Sobeille standing in its mouth distracted her from the fear and adrenaline pumping through her veins. With a quick, cagey backward glance into the mist, Tiuttuk faced forward and quickly moved toward the new mother. Her brow furrowed as she forgot about the creepy critter in the woods and sniffed the air around her friend’s face.

What’s wrong? Besides the monster lurking nearby, of course. Are they alright? she added in a hushed whisper, peering past the woman’s shoulder into the dim of the den.