Verdant Basin You're The Angel From My Nightmare

Set to late morning - early afternoon of December 12th :3

With but one backwards look to Arthendal in promises to return at sundown, Vassago set off into the world with a bounce in his step one not from the slight shivering and a grin on his face; even his little half-tail wiggled with joy as the Rochester boy explored on his own outside of home for the first time. Every couple of paces, he stopped to shake out his pelt and give it a few fluffing licks to both dry and warm himself, but when he'd got to another body of water -- this one stiller than his own -- he stopped to lay down and get a drink. 

Flopping to the earth on the shore, Vassago dipped his head to drink, but his marigold eyes scanned the area around him. There was a slight fear, deep down, of getting hurt -- he'd always imagined his first time out of Arthendal, at this point, he'd be with somebody. 
Pyro had -- this Vassago remembered with a wave of sadness as he settled on his elbow; he hadn't got to be there when his brother took his first steps across the river, and now Pyro wasn't here to be with him. He'd been warned back with Malice's fangs from an adventure, and that had hurt him more deeply than any time she'd lashed out at him for asking about The Brotherhood -- why hadn't be been allowed to go? Was curiosity about people trying to hurt his family such a bad thing he was shunned for it? Lately, it sure felt like it. 
Why wasn't he as good as Pyro? Why didn't his parents love him like Pyro? Vassago was the biggest, the strongest, the dominant -- he guarded the borders and he looked out for their safety more than it felt they did.... So why couldn't he be the favorite?