Creepy crawlies

Hearing her little one call out the farewell to the badgers made Marina smile. She truly hoped that, at some point, her little girl might even find another animal to become her friend, her companion. She’d heard tale of such things anyway. Marina just wanted her children to be healthy and happy, as any mother might. Was her daughter maybe lonely? The thought had occurred to her. Marina didn’t want to think such thoughts... Loneliness ate at the soul and made you do odd things. Things you were not necessarily proud of.

“Aye, trees. Some critters can crawl up in them, or birds can fly to their branches. For wolves living in trees is silly -- we can’t even climb them! But for other animals its the only way they live.” Marina would explain in a soft tone. “...and just because we’re searching doesn’t mean we’ll find something right away. They live spread out, just like we do.” The femme would nudge her daughter’s cheek. “Lets see... Ah! See that hole right there? I bet an owl lives in it.” She’d motion with her nose to one of the trees, a large hole further up with some sticks pointing out.

“The sticks are a giveaway to a nest, see?”

"Speech"
'thoughts'