I DON'T WORRY, WORRYING DON'T AGREE
THINGS THAT BOTHER YOU, NEVER BOTHER ME!

In offense, Talya gasped. “How DARE he!” She yelped, whipping her head around to glare at the tree, her ears lacing back against her skull. With her lips stained red-purple from berry juice, she looked a fearsome little critter. “Why don’t you pick on someone your own size, you rude tree?” Talya said, her head popping up as she pranced toward it, narrowing her eyes, expecting the tree to have some rebuttal.

Her ears flicked off her poll and turned to the tree, but all she could hear was the distant rumble of thunder. “Hm. Just what I thought. He’s got nothing to say for himself.” Talya moved to step away from the tree and then froze, glancing back suspiciously as if the tree would magically have come to life the moment she wasn’t watching. Once again satisfied the tree wasn’t interested in suddenly jumping out again, she returned her attention to Aurora, noticing how her golden friend looked toward her but not at her.

“Did your eyes go all funny again?” Talya asked, knowing the answer was yes. Mamapapa thought it was rude when Talya said it, but she didn’t mean it rudely. It was funny for eyes to suddenly decide they didn’t want to see when that’s what they were supposed to do. “Come on, I’ll take you far away from this horribly rude tree.” Talya declared, prancing closer to Aurora to slide her side alongside her friend’s, acting as physical support for each step they’d take toward shelter.