There weren't a lot of good reasons to be up when everyone else was sleeping, Zacharie felt. But in a stroke of luck, the unconscious jostling of his siblings against Dulcie woke the ornery tyke. He gave his best growl, a bubbly little sound that mostly didn't intimidate anyone yet. Then he kicked at them with stubby hindpaws, trying to make room for himself even if it sent a littermate rolling away from the warmth of their pile.

Then he noticed some of the others were awake, too. He squinted at the dim red hue coming from the edge of all the world he'd ever known. It was kind of scary! He growled again. But he was always growling, about everything, so that wasn't really anything new or worth waking up about.

He thought about hiding in the plush safety of Dulcie's tail... Until the idea of Mabby and Lauw (the closest he could come to saying their names, so far) getting something he didn't made him more unhappy than he was afraid. Bumbling after them with the fur along his back bristling, he stopped where the light cut a line across the threshold of the den, sniffing and huffing as if fearful crossing it might send him tumbling into the sky.

Finally a careful paw stretched out, over it...

...and found there was no difference at all but his perception.

He still stepped carefully the rest of the way. Only when all four paws were loose upon the outside world did he rush to catch up to the others, aiming an uncoordinated tackle at Laurel with joyous adrenaline.