Sun Mote Copse the frumious bandersnatch!

When two new faces appeared on the scene, Sugar gave them a cursory glance, smile and wave of her tail, then blew a raspberry as she continued tending Elwood's fictional wood. She was quite immersed in her role and wanted to make sure her father had the proper care he needed before she assumed any new players into the game.

She had just finished burying her dad's leg in river muck when Bronco approached her. "Hi, Bron," Sugar said easily, demonstrating her latest quirk: shortening everybody's name to the first syllable. "I'm helping my dad 'cause a dragon burned his leg! The water helps because it's cold," she explained, "and it soo—soo—sooooo..." Dagnabbit, what was the word she was looking for?

"Soothes," Elwood helpfully supplied and Sugar's head bobbed enthusiastically as she agreed, "It soothes!"