Unlike these heathens that surrounded him, who probably didn't give a damn how time passed, who probably lived only by the tick of the sun and the change of the seasons, Kiche was pretty sure he knew what today was. He had, after all, become fairly aware of how calenders and schedules worked, living around humans and seeing them enshrine one in almost every room, living by it. He figured it was sacred or something, but wasn't sure. At any rate, his masters had made a big deal of celebrating his birthday last year, and Kiche, knowing it was coming up very soon, had been counting down the days. He didn't need a calendar to tell him that today was he finally two years old. Except this knowledge did not give him any cause to celebrate, it only made his miserable state worse. He was desperately homesick.
What was worse, though, was that his birthday had to be here of all places. Being around Aisling made it okay, but when she was gone as she sometimes was... all those awful feelings and thoughts crept back into his head. The fact that there was only one... what had they called it? "Den," he spat, bitterly. There was only one of these den things, which apparently was for sleeping. With everyone. He had to sleep only inches away from some of the most vile creatures. He hoped whatever mental diseases they had were not contagious. No matter what Angel had said about this alleged "good" in everyone, Kiche was still a vehement skeptic. And without Aisling or Pangur around, he turned from skeptic to a distrustful, bitter, nonbeliever. Where was she, anyway? Kiche missed having Pangur around. Knowing that God was close by was such a comfort to him. He wondered why, perhaps, Pangur wouldn't stay and talk with Kiche, or show himself to him. Something. Kiche was desperate for some sort of real contact. Something cleansing.
Like right now, sitting in this den, that was so dark and dank and empty and smelly, Kiche felt terribly dirty. It was enough to make him want to throw up, again, but he wasn't sure he ought to do that in everyone's sleeping area. This was a highly concentrated population of savages. While Kiche had been able to handle one or two on his own, he would be no match for a multiple of that. Who knew what they would do. A whimper escaped his throat. I miss home.
This was nothing like his soft, cushy bed that he had back home.</blockquote>