light a fire in your new shoes

Oh crap! She'd overslept! Everyone had rushed out of the den, and now it was just her curled up by her lonesome. Not bothering to get any muck out of her fur, the young girl came trampling into view. A flurry of short limbs and harried movements. Mama was home! She'd missed her mama! "Mama!" She screeched. Mamamamamamamamamama! It was so exciting! Bounding right past papa, she wormed her way between Darya and Divo to cuddle her mama. Nothing mattered right now, in her tired little brain. Mama was here, and she was never allowed to leave again.

"Yes, I am here to teach you the ways of our people. As well, I can teach you the ways of healing and diplomacy, should you wish." Who was that? Peeking out from under mama's belly, she made note of a strange lady. Was this the shaman? She was pretty cool, she guessed. "I pray that soon the gods will favour you all with your Rite of Rebirth, and see your souls preserved. In the coming moons, I hope to prepare you all for the hunt."

Huh? "The what?" She squawked, squirming out into the open. Rite of.. Rebirth? Were they going to be born again? That sounded like no fun at all. What was she supposed to do with another time of being born? "I brought along a guard by the name of Xiomar, but he appears to have wandered off. Soon, you will meet him as well. He can teach you to defend yourselves, and his native language- if you ask him nicely enough." Oooooh yes, she wanted to learn another language. She'd picked up a lot of her mama's language, purely through immersion. She held conversations with her siblings quite well. Another language would be fun to learn.