..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
.........~                                          ~.........
........~«                                          «~........
.......~«;     .. FERRETS                           ;«~.......
......~«;%                                          %;«~......
.....~«;%* ...~~~«;;;%***#¶¶¶####¶¶¶#***%;;;«~~~... *%;«~.....
....~«;%*#                                          #*%;«~....
...~«;%*#¶ YOU SEE SOMETHING MOVE IN THE CORNER OF  ¶#*%;«~...
..~«;%*#¶#    YOUR EYE - PROBABLY ONE OF THESE.     #¶#*%;«~..
.~«;%*#¶##                                          ##¶#*%;«~.
..~«;%*#¶#             BACKBONE ANIMALS.            #¶#*%;«~..
...~«;%*#¶         CAT-SNAKES, OR SO CALLED.        ¶#*%;«~...
....~«;%*#       COMES IN DIFFERENT FLAVOURS.       #*%;«~....
.....~«;%*                                          *%;«~.....
......~«;% ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THE MINK ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ %;«~......
.......~«; ~                                      ~ ;«~.......
........~« ~ MINKS, ALSO CALLED THE SNOW FERRETS, ~ «~........
.........~ . MAKE UP THE "WANDERING FOOD SUPPLY"  . ~.........
.......... . USED BY THE SHAMANS AND UNDERLINGS   . ..........
..........   OF KIRUGU VARGIR. WHEN CALLED UPON,    ..........
..........   THEY PRESENT THEMSELVES, AND CAN BE    ..........
..........   CAUGHT.                                ..........
..........                                          ..........
.......... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THE MARTEN ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ..........
.......... ~                                      ~ ..........
.........~ ~ THE MARTEN IS THE SNEAKIER ONE HERE, ~ ~.........
........~« . OFTEN USED FOR SPYING, OR STEALING.  . «~........
.......~«; . IN THE OLDER TALES ABOUT VIDMI,      . ;«~.......
......~«;%   THESE ARE PROBS THE FERRETS THAT SHE   %;«~......
.....~«;%*   WAS SAID TO CONTROL. THIS CONNECTION   *%;«~.....
....~«;%*#   MIGHT EXPLAIN WHY MANY DENIZENS HAVE   #*%;«~....
...~«;%*#¶   THIS AS THEIR MAIN "PET" GOD.          ¶#*%;«~...
..~«;%*#¶#                                          #¶#*%;«~..
.~«;%*#¶## ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THE ERMINE ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ##¶#*%;«~.
..~«;%*#¶# ~                                      ~ #¶#*%;«~..
...~«;%*#¶ ~ THE LUSHER ONE IN THE FAMILY IS THE  ~ ¶#*%;«~...
....~«;%*# . ERMINE. USED AS BEDWARMERS, OR       . #*%;«~....
.....~«;%* . HARVESTED FOR THEIR BEAUTIFUL FUR,   . *%;«~.....
......~«;%   THE WHITE COAT, VERY PRETTY,           %;«~......
.......~«;   ALTHOUGH RARE.                         ;«~.......
........~«                                          «~........
.........~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THE MEWN ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~.........
.......... ~                                      ~ ..........
.......... . ONE OF THE MOST NOTABLE IN KIRUGU    . ..........
.......... . LORE, THE OTTER FERRET? IT GOES IN   . ..........
..........   RIVERS. THERE ARE A LOT OF FERRETS,    ..........
..........   BUT FOR SOME REASON, THIS OTTER ONE    ..........
..........   IS HARDLY EVER SEEN. IT MIGHT BE       ..........
..........   THAT IT IS UNBOUND...?                 ..........
.........~   LOCALS USE IT FOR SPORT FISHING.       ~.........
........~«                                          «~........
.......~«; ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THE HUSKY ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ;«~.......
......~«;% ~                                      ~ %;«~......
.....~«;%* . THE HUSKY MAY SEEM LIKE A DOG, BUT   . *%;«~.....
....~«;%*# . IT IS ACTUALLY A KIND OF FERRET.     . #*%;«~....
...~«;%*#¶   THIS MAKES IT THE LARGEST OF THE       ¶#*%;«~...
..~«;%*#¶#   PHYLUM, AND IT'S THE MOST RECENTLY     #¶#*%;«~..
.~«;%*#¶##   EVOLVED AS WELL, BRED FOR USE AS A     ##¶#*%;«~.
..~«;%*#¶#   PREDATOR. IT'S MADE MORE DANGEROUS     #¶#*%;«~..
...~«;%*#¶   BY THE FACT THAT IT'S ALMOST           ¶#*%;«~...
....~«;%*#   COMPLETELY UNKNOWN TO BIOLOGISTS.      #*%;«~....
.....~«;%*                                          *%;«~.....
......~«;%                                          %;«~......
.......~«;                                          ;«~.......
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