Love You Long Time

The prospect of going on trip far from home was both exciting and nerve-racking for Ara. However, she trusted her mother when she'd said it would be fun and not dangerous -- and she'd been told she got to see one of her mommy's friends, which was very exciting. Her eagerness, though genuine, was rather subdued compared to Faolan's, the beginning of the journey accompanied by a small smile and a rapid wag of Ara's tail. It was about as much enthusiasm as was expected from the small child.

Silence fell over her as she padded quickly alongside her mom, careful to not leave her side. The open landscape of home was much different than the rest of the world, something that took her by surprise only for a short moment. Trees sprouted up all around, larger than anything she had ever seen. Blue eyes were wide, filled with wonder as her gazed danced about wildly. Curiosity shone plainly in her bright eyes as small paws carried the girl along carefully. The trees here were amazing, with limbs that were so bowed that they nearly touched the ground. Some were so close! Maybe she could even snag one of the branches and see the small leaves! However, she was unwilling to stray far from her mother -- she didn't even need a warning, like Faolan. Her eyes narrowed as she watched him, shaking her head in a stern 'no', following Silent's command.

After a short walk, Silent settled down near one of the larger trees they had seen. Paws moved slowly as Ara trailed along, head cocked to the side and tilted upward as she stared, entranced, as the branches swayed gently with the faint breeze. Her concentration was broken by her mom's voice, urging her onward -- 'If you want to explore with your brother, you can, my dear.' Promptly after, Ara felt a kiss placed on her face, and she grinned from ear to ear. With hesitancy she would take a few large steps away from her mom, knowing she wouldn't need to be scolded for wandering off. However, her attention had been grabbed by a particularly low-hanging twig. With a rapid wag of her tail, she ran forward playfully before pushing off with her hind legs, jaws agape.

Success! She felt the firm twig in her jaws as they clamped shut, and she jerked her head down hard, rewarding herself with a mouthful of leaves and twig. She hadn't even fell! Happy with her catch, she bounded toward her mother and dropped the small branch at her paws, eyes dancing over it and the small leaves, unlike any she had seen before.