"Teach a class" was all the instruction Lungric, the deep royal navy Tsab, was given. It seemed simple enough: sit before a group of likely highly scrutinizing whelps and express a litany of complex geological formations... The difficulty, of course, came from knowing how to explain it to a bunch of young'ns in a way their minds can comprehend. It's not to say that any of the whleps were daft, not at all, but having spent almost all of her life around adults, Lungric found it daunting to speak to whelps. Kanene was bringing a group of five, so she said. Speaking of the whelps:

Led to the makeshift outdoor classroom by the ever-radiant Kanene, a whole group of rambunctious whelps tumbled into view. Lungric's eyes softened, a smile cresting her lips. The curly-furred Belemoid has always been a joy to be around, and her grace was all the more sight for sore eyes. Toddling behind Kanene's furry self were the following: Dixie, an orange-faced Tsab; Ichor, a similarly bloody red-faced Belemoid; Byrd, a Belemoid with a striking blue and white coat; and finally Pepperjack. Hidden within Kanene's pouch was a secret- Kingsblade, a tan Belemoid who was too tired to walk herself. "Good morning, Lungric," called out Kanene, a soft grin in her eyes and tone. The little black and white Tsab was visiting from Ororest, a colony far in the reaches of Rekes. He was noticeably younger than the other whelps, holding onto Dixie's tail and following close behind her. Kanene's tail swept side to side, a few whelps finding joy in nipping and chasing after it.

"Morning, Kanene!" Lungric squeezed her hands together in a self-soothing reaction. It was rare for Lungric to find discomfort in Kanene's presence, but something felt off—likely just her nerves itching. Byrd peeked around her mother, eyes wide, while Ichor followed close behind. Kanene stopped about a meter away, tail softly shuffling the grass-lined dirt patch. Mireh was a beautiful region, the sweet scent of blue grass wafting through the temperate winds. Kanene shifted her movements, lifting her forelimbs and expelling a small belemoid from her pouch. Tumbling forward was another small but clearly uneasy Belemoid. Kingsblade, a colonist belonging in Mireh. At least she didn't have to travel nearly as far. The little one let out a resounding oof! as she plopped into the dirt. Kanene's eyes were soft as she apologized, nudging the whelp forward. Ichor trotted quickly toward Kingsblade, clearly a friend to the small girl.

"Here is your class for today. Whelps, introduce yourself to the lovely Miss Lungric, please."

"Hi, Miss Lungric," yowled Byrd, leading the pack. Kanene shot a look at her youngest daughter, spooking her to quiet down. "Oop.. Sorry.. Hi, Miss Lungric. I'm Bryd. She's my momma." The blue and white belemoid had charged forward excitedly, shoving Ichor to the side as she did. Ichor yelped in complaint, biting at where Byrd's tail just was. "We're really excited to learn about, uh- Rocks?" The whelps' eyes drifted to the makeshift pile of various stones to Lungric's side. The adult Tsab seemed uneasy at the sudden tone shift. Why would they be excited for rocks? Dixie and Pepperjack muttered between themselves.

"Hiya, miss. I'm Ichor! My momma is Ronan." The red-faced whelp helped the formerly pouch-riding whelp to her feet, "And this is Kingsblade!" The smaller tan whelp looked up, unsure and bashful. She hid partially behind Ichor, who was absolutely beaming. "We're real excited, honest!"

"Y-yeah... Thank you for coming out to Mireh, miss," Kingsblade mumbled softly, her nerves itching. Lungric's stare, or at least what the poor whelp perceived as a stare, was hardened. Truthfully, Lungric was gazing worriedly at the small Belemoid. The fear she was showing was so familiar to how her mining partner, Leema, once was.

"Don-" Lungric began, immediately interrupted.

"I'm Dixie, and this is Pepperjack!" The little duo of Tsabs interrupted loudly, stumbling forth. Dixie's eyes were huge, excited. Lungric's eyes softened quickly, and she bent over to gently shake the small hands of both Pepperjack and Dixie. Ichor and Kingsblade exchanged looks, whispering about the strangeness of Tsab hands.

"Hello, little Miss Dixie, I've heard all about you," Lungric beamed. "Thrits was so excited when you were born—and little Mr. Pepperjack! How is your poppa?" The little male seemed to beam suddenly, the mention of his father Coriander bringing some comfort. Byrd glanced over at Pepperjack, seemingly a bit annoyed. Lungric's reaction to him was so warm, yet she got nothing. Kanene swept her tail around Byrd, giving her a stern glance.

"He's okay! He's been in that sewer place a real long time though." The small voice of Pepperjack started excited but etched to worry. Kanene gently nudged him with the broad side of a claw comfortingly.

Lungric seemed to warm up as each whelp took their individual turns introducing themselves. The group of five was decently attentive, and most belonged to Nuryuhr dams, ones that Lungric knew at least offhandedly. "Well, then, shall we get started?" She settled down into the grass, wind tussling her fur gently. The day was warm, but just cold enough that the fields produced little to no pollen. Kanene settled before her, sprawling out and providing a comforting place for the whelps. The soft green grass provided beautiful contrast, with small purple flowers providing a pop of color. Clouds drifted overhead, providing at least some sun coverage. The whelps piled in on Kanene, settling in quickly. Dixie and Pepperjack held hands, gazing up to Lungric with focus. The trio of Belemoid, Ichor, Byrd, and little Kingsblade, snuggled in close near Kanene's pouch. "There's many types of stone in our world," Lungric began, holding up pieces of rock. Her words were gentle, although a little scientific.

Her words trailed onward, questions pricked by the whelps interrupting every now and again. Of them, Lungric noticed that Ichor seemed to hold the most direct interest and memorization. Perhaps she would become a miner in Nuryuhr's teams. Comparitively, Byrd was the most uninterested, followed by Dixie. Pepperjack listened intently but seemed to be dozing slightly. The navy tsab kept it in her mind, thinking deeply about how she could broach the prospect with her mother. "igneous rocks, such as these," Lungric held up a pumice stone and a small chunk of granite, "come from lava!" The whelps ooed and awhed, heads tilting. Bryd seemed bored, though, instead opting to dig small trenches into the dirt before her. Kingsblade watched Byrd with interest, curious to see what the blue Belemoid could uncover.

Ichor chimed in, excitement in her voice. "They're so different!" Kingsblade shoved the red-faced whelp, her face puffing up. "Sorry-" Kanene stifled a chuff of laughter.

"No, no, you're right! They are very different." Placing the granite on the ground, Lungric focused on the pumice. "You see, depending on the type of lava and magma produced, it can cool to many different things." With little force needed, the pumice snapped in half. "For example, this pumice is very soft and brittle." Her word was hung on by each of the whelps; curiosity piqued. Turns out, Lungric did have a way with whelps—at least when rocks are involved. Kanene's knowing gaze brought all the more comfort as the navy Tsab opened up. Maybe today could be a good day, after all.