Elara
Kira carried the sleeping cloth out of the basket as soon as Elara put it inside.
The fox dragged it beneath the workbench, turned twice and lay down with her nose against one corner.
"We've had this discussion," Elara said.
One golden eye opened. Nothing else moved.
The keeper beside the potting table tried to hide a smile and failed.
"Leave it there. She slept beneath that bench during the last exercise."
"The floor gets cold after dusk."
"I'll put the mat under the cloth. Same place."
Elara considered another objection, then looked at the perfectly good mat leaning against the wall. The keeper had already thought of the problem. She moved the empty basket out of the path.
The afternoon light reached the upper shelves but left the lower trays in shade. A few early shoots had turned toward the window. She rotated one tray, checked the soil with a finger and resisted giving it water merely because she would be away tomorrow.
