Sun Mote Copse bedtime stories

Retiring late and rising early was Alyx's modus operandi ever since being allowed to play outside, so it should surprise no one that she was awake when Phox poked his head into the den. Huge blue eyes followed his dark muzzle up and out of the den and she rose to her paws, compelled to follow, but the lack of light filtering in made her hesitate just long enough for Meerkat to arrive first. She'd never been outside at night before.
Alyx wasn't normally a tentative toddler, but her first few steps out were cautiously measured. Her gaze went first to the night sky, heart fluttering at the sense of foreboding that simple darkness could grant that huge blue expanse. She noticed the winking of little lights on the dark canvas and was transfixed by those, so much so that her entranced tread caused her to bumble right into Meerkat's side.
Uhf, she exclaimed, stumbling back from the point of impact and giving her head a comically vigorous shake. In the dark, Meerkat appeared more of a chocolate brown than her usual beige and her eyes disappeared into the spots around them, making them look positively ginormous. Phox was an inky spectre, visible to little Alyx only by the illuminated silver of his nape. Torn between familiarity and trepidation, Alyx blurted a shaky but childishly loud, HI! Of the four words she could say, it seemed the most appropriate, even if she was still a little unsure of the meaning (but everyone used it a lot, so it must be important).