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"I don't understand why you're so upset," Cooper chirped as he landed on a branch a few feet in front of me ten minutes later. "The other human seemed to think it was all right."

"The 'other human' is Alton, and he was lying." I stomped through the woods, in a sour mood from the inopportune interruption of a certain robin.

"He was?"

"Yes! No one wants to be interrupted when they're kissing like that!"

So it hadn't been a full kiss... the atmosphere had been there! And I'd wanted to keep kissing him. Just for research. To see if that zing had been a one time thing. But instead, birdbrain there had to scare Alton off.

"I'll never understand the human fascination with this 'kissing' thing," Cooper chirped. "I don't see how you gain pleasure from forcing your mouths together."

"It's not just the action that makes it... pleasurable," I said. "It's... it's also..."

"It's the moment of breathlessness," I sang.
"The eager waiting, the thought of sweet distance,
The way your heart races,
The fit of your hands together,
The melding of two hearts
It's all the little things and more."

I trailed off, unable to find all the words to express it. "Everything else makes it special."

"So you like this Alton?" Cooper confirmed.

I considered it. I mean, he was like a brother. I'd wrestled in the mud with him, pushed him into the pond. He was a very good friend. Even if I tried to picture life without him, somehow that all too familiar russet hair was stuck in there. He was like air to me. I couldn't live without him around. It was a foreign, frightening concept.

But love? I had never really considered that. I mean, I had noticed that after he turned fifteen, he had grown out of that awkward, gangly stage and become rather attractive. I mean, in a "Oh look, he doesn't make me want to go empty my stomach in the nearest bucket" way. Not really favorable or unfavorable. Just a casual notion that he had a nice face. Still, that didn't mean I loved him.

"I don't know." I finally said, honestly.

Cooper regarded me with the same look the mare Moondancer had the other day. A serious, almost pitying glance. As if they knew something horrible, but they wouldn't tell what it was.

"What's with the look, Cooper?"

"What look?"

"The one you're giving me," I gritted out between clenched teeth. If he didn't stop being stupid, the world was going to be short one more robin.

"I just noticed your hair isn't braided."

"Is it really that weird?" I asked.

"No. On the contrary, you look much more feminine with it down. You should do it more often. Especially if you want Alton to do that kissing thing again. He seemed to appreciate the lack of braids."

"All right, Mr. Nosy," I snapped. "I get the hint! Now where's this fox you told me about?"

"Over there," Cooper indicated a bush nearby.

"Better be worth dragging me away," I muttered as I sat down to look at the creature.

It was caught in a snare, struggling to free itself. I carefully noted the make of the trap before speaking.

"Easy there. You're only gonna hurt yourself if you keep at it like that."

The fox glanced over at me. "What would you know, girl?"

"Well, considering I'm one of the humans who build such traps, a lot. And if you'll hold still, I'll help you out."

He glared at me for a moment before holding still. I began to work at freeing him. After a few minutes, I had freed his paw.

"There you go. Be more careful next time."

The fox regarded me with a strange expression for a moment before bowing to me. "As you wish, Princess Aurora."

Then he disappeared into the brush, leaving me confused. Why did all these animals keep calling me that?