[@Duthguy][@SilverPaw][@Jobst][@Bishop][@Zeroth]

Ed froze at the sound of someone, or something, saying the word 'sibling.' It seemed that the young dire rat was too enamored by the strange but fascinating crystal growing upon the wall. He slowly turns to face the source of the sound and sees two small dire rats and one large adult dire rat. Their smell was far different from the smell of his siblings, and surely his mother and siblings were still fast asleep back in the nest. Ed could feel his heart pump faster. If they were to deem him as a threat, it would be the end of him. No second chances, just there and then dead. He needed to show that he was not of any threat to them. The young dire rat chooses to lie flat on his back to show his submissiveness to the other dire rats. He was just there to explore the cave near the nest, it was not a good enough reason for him to die.

While lying down, he hears another voice. Inquiring if they were from Earth. Ed didn't need to even think when the new voice asked if he was a resident of that planet. [color=chocolate]"Ya!"[/color] Ed squeaked out in affirmation. He pauses for a moment, shocked that he was even capable of speaking considering his current state. He thinks for another moment; about the possibility that he could say more complex words now that he had discovered that it was possible for him to speak. Ed tests the waters and asks the new voice.[color=chocolate]"You...friend?"[/color]