A slap—from his dear sister?! Faolán was utterly aghast! In truth, it came out as a series of indignant squeaks before he wiggled away from her rudeness. He had more important things to focus on anyway.

His wide eyes fixed on the fuzzy brown shape before him, the scent warm and familiar. The giant was making noise, his voice a melody to ears that had only recently awoken to sound. Faolán blinked up at him in wonder, curious about what he was doing.

The little bean decided imitation was the best course of action. He pushed himself up as far as his tiny body allowed and babbled proudly back: Brr. Ahhm. Nem. Surely that was fair enough to say!

His mother’s soft, melodic laugh chimed through the air, amused by the exchange between her mate and their son. Faolán loved the sound, until suddenly he realized just how very small he was. How could he possibly defend himself against the likes of them?

His confidence wavered. A fresh string of squeaks burst forth, full of distress, though even he wasn’t certain who he was calling for.