gently introductory spelunking

[pleasantsurprise]

"I have found," Kanim announces to the small princesses (although they are getting taller) at their next group lesson with him, "a cave that I think even Carinna will like. It has not the least bit of hazard or inconvenience anywhere in it. It's very small, we'll probably be able to see all of it this afternoon, and it doesn't have a name yet as far as I can see, so we can pick something to call it while we're there."

"What is in it? Caves always have hazards and inconveniences," says Carinna warily.

"Harmless plants and creatures," Kanim says, "two springs, attractive crystal formations, a small maze, things like that - I will leave the specifics to be discovered, it's more fun that way, don't you think?"

"I think so," agrees Kiawen. "As long as you're sure Carinna won't be bothered!"

"Quite sure," says Kanim, "and if she is bothered we can always nip her out of there, it doesn't distort space or anything tricky like that."

"Okay," says Carinna decisively, "then I guess we can go to it."

Comments

[guessguess]

"How would you tell?"

[forgefires]

"It seems like they glow when you touch them," says Tanalin, setting her poofs down in her lap. They all cuddle up together, still glowing. "Kanim, what do you think?"

[pleasantsurprise]

"I'm not really sure how to tell what the glowing means, but they don't seem to object to being handled; they can get around just fine and they come right up to us," he says.

[forgefires]

"They do! It's adorable," says Tanalin.

[pleasantsurprise]

"It is!"

[exactlyright]

"Are you sure Cricket would terrorize them," sighs Carinna.

[pleasantsurprise]

"You'd have to get Bella to ask him, but they are pretty rodent-sized."

[pythbox]

Whmmmm goes Carinna's poof.

[exactlyright]

"It would be nice to have one with me all the time, though."

[guessguess]

"We can hang out here all the time," says Kiawen. "Sometime we should bring Val and Ike!"

[pleasantsurprise]

"If Cricket promises to leave them alone, and your moms say you may, and we can figure out why none of these animals have left the cave and spread through the forest when they could just roll right out the exit if they so chose, then you can take critters home. Till then, just play with them here."

[forgefires]

"That sounds reasonable," says Tanalin.

[pythbox]

Another creature, similar to a poof, hops up to Carinna. This one has two small round feet underneath it, with tiny paw-pads, and visible features: two small round eyes set above a small nose and mouth that look something like a dog's or cat's but much flatter.

It meeps and bounces on its tiny toes.

[exactlyright]

"How many kinds of creatures are there here?" asks Carinna, reaching down to inspect the fur texture of this unpoof.

[pleasantsurprise]

"I didn't count them," says Kanim, "mostly because I'm not sure how the different colors of poofs count towards their species membership."

[pythbox]

The unpoof's fur is slightly shorter and denser than a poof's, but similarly soft and pettable. This one is bright blue. It whiffles when she pets it.

[guessguess]

"Piano bears, poofs, and - pawlings?" suggests Kiawen, approaching and inspecting the unpoof. "Because it has little paws."

[forgefires]

"That kind only has two little paws, though," says Tanalin. "I think I saw one with four a minute ago - I've lost it now."

[exactlyright]

"What color was it?" asks Carinna, looking around.

[forgefires]

"Maybe blue or green," she says. "It was playing with some poofs and they were glowing on it."

[guessguess]

Kiawen begins a systematic hunt for a four-pawling.

[pythbox]

There are two of them splashing in the spring around the corner. Their fur seems to shed water pretty well. One is sort of turquoise, the other orange-pink.

[guessguess]

Kiawen picks up the turquoise one. "Found it. So these could be pawlings - or - no, we might find ones with six legs or something - all the ones that are poofs with paws are pawlings and we should come up with names for the kinds with different numbers of paws."

[pythbox]

The turquoise four-pawling whiffles and nibbles gently on her finger.

[forgefires]

"Two-pawlings and four-pawlings?" shrugs Tanalin.