Heirs to the Light

Aaron slid through the calm sea, his motions as fluid as the water around him. He always felt at home in the sea.

When he was little he thought of himself as an otter. Now he knew he was different. Still, he referred to them as his "family." In turn the otters called him their brother.

A fish distracted him. Without thinking he shot out a paw. It evaded him. He twisted like a snake and caught it with a back paw. Then he passed it up to his front paws.

He surfaced with a rush. "Well caught, brother!" Talan hailed him.

"Aye! If you took the trouble and paid attention, you could do that!"

"So I'm not a champion fisher." Talan shrugged good-naturedly. "At least I don't have to steer with that thing you call a tail!"

"My tail is useful in its own way," Aaron insisted. "By the way, have a fish."

Talan, bewildered, found the fish in his paw. Aaron winked at him. "See what I mean?"

Before the thunderstruck otter could reply, a call from the cave reached them. "Aaron, this is the third time..."

"Coming, Mother!" He rolled his eyes at Talan. "I don't know how she does that."

Sharn, the young ferret's mother, stood tapping impatiently. "Look at yourself! I suppose you forgot about the festival tonight."

"The Festival of the Moon, of course!" Aaron struck his brow. "It completely escaped me."

She watced him dash off, muttering, "It 'escaped' him? What a son I have!"