waddle waddle waddle!

Vanta was getting the hang of being guided, her mother's companions having become a permanent fixture above her head and around her neck. She still preferred to explore during the night hours, but on this day had suffered an itch of wanderlust that could not wait for the moon to rise. She headed east from their gnarled woods, intent on simply wandering it until the sun began to set, ignorant to her toucan's caws that very soon she'd be reaching the border. Trees were trees, right? He must be mistaken, she was still in the woods. The snake around her neck did it's duty in leading her pawsteps without judgement, squeezing the sides of her neck to beckon her to step to the side to dodge a trunk, or pulling downwards to encourage her to duck below a low hanging branch. All in all, the pup was slowly learning past her disability.

A new scent reached her nose and Vanta's closed eyes squinted tighter, as if she might be able to place it if she had more darkness behind her lids. Her nose worked little sniffs into the wind, ears flickering to seek out any distinctive sound. When she was unable to place the individual, the pup gave up and called out. "Is someone there?"

"Speech"