The sound he made was part indignation and part fright, confused and rightfully intimidated by where he found himself. This was not how life had been before. This was not the squishy, albeit cramped, quarters he was used to. This was chilly where once it had been warm, rough where once everything had been soft, and so incredibly open. There was space on all sides, and he took use of it, wriggling and squirming and scooting himself blindly against the warm ground. Where was he! Why had everything suddenly changed?
But he was not alone. He felt rather than heard or saw someone nosing him, cleaning him, and so used to physical contact he was drawn to the touch, quieted by it. It drove away the coldness, the loneliness, and with some maneuvering delivered him at the cozy, warm side of his mother alongside his siblings. Annoying as it might have been for them, he snuggled in close before the scent of milk distracted him, and after some more shifting and wiggling he found a comfortable position in which to nurse. He was quiet from then on, eventually falling asleep and nestling in between his brothers and sisters.
