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She'd been sleeping, as was her habit. Well, not sleeping, exactly. Dozing and drifting somewhere between asleep and awake. The branch swayed gently, rocking her ever closer to her dreams.

Until one hindleg slipped out from under her and Merpati lost her balance. Before she could fully catch herself, she'd slipped most of the way off the branch. Now she dangled, hind legs kicking, tail flailing as she tried to find something to keep her from dropping toward the floor so far (not really that far) below.

"Help me, please!"

She kicked her legs harder when she heard the adults voice. Maybe, somehow, that would keep her on the branch just a little longer! When he picked her up, though, she stopped kicking. If she kicked him and he dropped her, it'd be an even longer fall.

So feet against her chest and tail tucked close to her body until she felt the solid branch beneath her. Even then, she relaxed only a little. Enough to lean against him unapologetically. "I slipped," she confessed. "I was just resting a little, and then I was falling." She peered down at the ground. "I didn't want to fall."

She squeaked, blinked and rubbed her nose where it'd been poked. Startled? Yes, a little. Hurt, no. "I'm very lucky," she agreed. "I wouldn't bounce very well."

She fluffed her tail, though, and summoned up a smile. "It's nice to meet you, Sendiri. I'm Merpati."

"Thank you." She beamed. She quite liked her name, herself. She looked worried at the next question, though. "She's sleeping," she told Sendiri quickly. "Don't wake her up, please? If she knew I almost fell, she wouldn't let me stay outside ever again. Please say you won't, please?" She worked herself up until she was nearly out of breath.

Then her stomach growled and panic turned into embarrassment again. "A little," she confessed.

"Well, some think I'm too small to do anything on my own," she huffed a bit. "And that just isn't true. How can I learn to do anything if all I'm allowed is to go where everyone else goes?"

She hung on while Sendiri went for food. Not that the branch jostling scared her. She had an excellent grip on it now. When he came back, her nose twitched at the scent of the fruit. She behaved herself, though, waiting politely until it was offered. She said a thank you and sat, holding it close, and turning it on her paws as she decided where to bite first.

She paused, though and glanced up, abruptly curious again. "Where were you going before you helped me?"

Merpati ohhhed and took a bite of fruit. "There's lots of good ones around," she informed him after she'd swallowed. As if he hadn't delivered an excellent example just moments ago. "But not the ones that fall on the ground. Those get squishy and smell bad."

"Aiden, Aiden," she said, after she'd had another bite. "That's a nice name too. I don't think I know him, though. Is he Udara?" Oops. Blink. "Are you?"

"But you have to be fast to get the good fruit when it falls." She considered him a minute, then decided, "You could probably get it."

She beamed again. "We're Udara too. That's good. My mother says you can always trust the Udara." She paused again. "Is he too shy to go outside much?"

Merpati squeaked and nearly dropped her fruit when Sendiri went off the branch. She scooted as close to the edge as she dared, as quickly as possible, and looked at the ground first. She didn't want to see him splatted down there, but if he was hurt...

Of course he wasn't splatted. She spotted him swinging and puffed out a breath of relief. Then, very slowly, she smiled, "Maybe you could bring him out to play, some time. I bet you could teach him to swing like that."