Sunbeam Lair each to each by natural piety

The squirrel seemed to escape her, but Starlette didn't give up her chase. She squirmed forward, crouching down to offer up a sloppy hunt, little tongue sticking out of the corner of her mouth as she darted her eyes back and forth across the ground.

Where had it gone???

She felt a familiar gaze against her. Warm, and welcome. Her mother was often quiet but Starlette found she didn't mind. It was a nice change, from papa's tendency to talk and talk and talk (even though she did like him talking).

Starlette scurried towards the bushes the squirrel had disappeared into. Paused, and listened. The sound of birdsong in the air. The gentle hum of a nearby creek.

No squirrel.

No squirrel.

No squirrel.

Be patient, she could almost hear her father saying, then, blah blah blah blah blah --

Oh, screw this!

The girl charged the bushes in a frenzy of charcoaled paws. Hitting the ground in another clumsy stride -- and missing her footing entirely. A large stone snagged her toes and she found herself careening down a small hillside, only to splash into one of the shallow arms of the creek below.