Häti, Benji , any siblings!

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The sun was always hot. And the entrance of the den was always a temptation.

A little body would coil, twisting and shifting like the tides of the dunes. But she was not made of sand, not like the rest of them. She stood out — cool coal coat gnashing against desert warmth. But the girl did not know that she was different. She only knew that she was a warrior of the desert. A desert cactus.

Primed and ready to spike.

Hi-YAH, she would screech, her tiny body pouncing toward a drift of sand at the mouth of the family den. And in her paws, the sand would melt. And she would grin, potato body and even more potato-like paws dancing around at the mouth of the den. Stomping and dominating and ...

She was so excited.
Gavi would bark.

Loudly.

Think of it as a wake-up call. Her little body vibrated.

It was simply an announcement that she'd made it to the den's mouth.

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A loaf baking in the sun, the child was always warm.  Belly up and full, she had nothing to complain about.

Nothing to cry about, or whine about, or weep about… Nothing at all until a sister was moving, daring what she had not yet tried. Gnashing mouth, scrambling paws and she was up! Up and up!

Where were they going? No, no—she would not be left behind! She was coming too!

Stalking, she was already learning to be a desert fox. Nimble and cool, she slipped into the open stretches of the den, convinced she was hidden from everyone. How could they possibly see her? Her tan coat blended perfectly with the sand, and she was not wobbling *at all* as she crept forward.

Tall ears drooped atop her head like oversized sails, far too large for her little body, and she almost tripped once or twice, focused entirely on her sister just beyond where they were not allowed to go. Sand scattered beneath each paw step and excited little breaths left her grinning mouth. Her entire rump wiggled as she slunk through the warm grit…but she was sneaky!

A dancer. A creature of sand! It was going to be the greatest surprise in the history of surprises.

Laborious as it was, moving slowly proved exhausting work, and it was at her sister's screech that she was undone. Sneak attack forgotten, desert fox no more, she launched herself forward with a battle cry of her own.

A series of yips left her and with an alarming amount of drool, she ungracefully rammed (more like rolled and crashed) herself headfirst into her sister's backside, attempting to knock them both outside of the den.

The less-rapidly growing child was not so easily roused. Sound asleep, as he was most of the time, the departure of one of his siblings was not an uncommon occurrence, barely shifting him in his nap. However, the sudden, high-pitched bark was. It was sharp enough to jolt him awake, grumbling to himself as he swung his large head around the den, blinking the sleep from his eyes.

Despite being much older than the recent additions to his life, he had not begun to explore outside of the den just yet. The bright, intense light repelled the boy, and besides, he was more than content to snuggle up with his family, even after his eyes and ears finally opened. He was a child of sloth, happily feeding and sleeping whenever he pleased.

But, this was new. And, there seemed to be a few forms missing from the writhing mass of bodies, so he was curious enough to clamber over whoever was in his way, rising on unsteady, wide paws to snuffle more intently at the ever-growing brightness. There was another voice, now, yipping, and sounds of a scuffle. Solda grew even more curious, making that final leap of courage to enter the tunnel, finally getting a good look at the two noise-makers.

Who, as soon as he clapped eyes on them, immediately tumbled out of view. Into the outside.

Solda hiccuped, startled. Only Häti and Benji ever left the lovely warm of the den! Was that allowed? He turned, whining, to check if an adult was inside so he could dob them in.