Avery had been involved in his pups' life from the moment they were born. So when he had a moment to spare, he planned to take advantage of it by taking his son on a territory run.
"'Cmon kiddo, I've got somethings I'd like to show you."
Vale, like all of the other pups, had recently been exploring the sunrock. It was the first place they'd been allowed to go, and Vale was itching for more adventure. So, when his dad approached him in the whelping den where he'd been napping, he got up immediately, carefully stepping over the forms of his sleeping siblings. He thought Asara stirred, but by then he and Avery were already out of the den. "Where're we going, dad?" he asked excitedly, little tail wagging behind him. Was it another adventure already?
"It's time to show you our borders." Avery smiled broadly at his son. He never thought he'd ever have a father son moment like this, but he couldn't think of a better kid to have it with.
He made sure to set a pace that Vale would be able to maintain without difficulty.
"We will do this as often as possible, so there will be more time to explore later, for now I'll have to have you stick by me. First though, we have to cross the river. "
Avery usually swam across, it was a pretty narrow river, but a shallow spot where Vale could cross lay not too far out, so he detoured that direction instead, he would have Vale cross first, just in case he ran into difficulty, then follow behind him.
Vale's eyes lit up — he'd never been allowed as far as the borders before. He enjoyed wandering, and getting the chance to explore with his dad? There was nothing better in his eyes. He was slightly unnerved when told they would have to cross the river — he'd seen his sisters fall into the spring, and that alone had been scary enough. But, he was determined to be brave, and so he followed his father until they came to a shallow spot. Vale crossed without much difficulty; his body seemed to know how to swim already, and he emerged on the other side, shaking out his pelt. "Where next, dad?" he asked, tail wagging as he grinned.
"This way!" They went towards their eastern border first. It hadn't been long or arduous by any means. Vale kept up with ease. Vagabond slowed when they approached the border, encouraging Vale to scent the air. Here would be a definitive scent that would define Sacrarium's border without a doubt to any outsider that would be paying attention.
He didn't stop just yet though, he continued to south run along the border, allowing Vale to adjust to the strong scents. He planned to show his son Raven Hills next. Of course he wouldn't be able to climb too much but it would still be fun for him to see and was part of their border after all.
Vale took the chance to run through the forest, though he stayed close by his father. The trees were massive, and he noticed now they dripped large lines of red. He paused in his running as they neared the border, then edged closer to his father, asking nervously, "What's wrong with the trees?" Beyond them rose a mountain, plains, and some raised outcropping far in the distance; Vale had never been so far. He then asked, "What's out here? Mom says the river keeps going in the north, and there's an ocean past that!" But the south he didn't know. He hoped one day he'd be big enough to explore further.
He was smiling as his son eagerly took in all the sights and sounds. He puffed his chest proudly as he said, "There is nothing wrong with the trees, the stuff they drip is called sap. That's just how they are. Just like I have three legs." His pups hadn't reacted strangely to him like everyone else, it surprised him but made perfect sense. They had grown up around him after all.
Reluctant for his son to know the extent that he could explore Vagabond was quick to remind Vale of his reason for bringing them out here. "Don't forget to use your nose son, what do you smell?" Vagabond hoped Vale would become overwhelmed by the smells that defined their borders. It was vital that all wolves understood borders, but if Vale grew up to protect the pack he would need to stay in touch with his senses and for any change in scent that could indicate potential danger.
Vale eyed the trees furtively, scuffing his paw on the forest floor. If it was just sap, then there was no reason to be unnerved by it; the boy sighed softly, then nodded. He looked to his father, his eyes drawn to the stump — he'd never asked his father about it, and he didn't think now was a good time.
Vale sucked in a deep breath at his father's bidding, then wrinkled his nose. It was a much stronger smell, and he could pick out both his mother's and father's scents. "I just smell you and mom... but different." He then moved to investigate a nearby tree, circling it, then lifted his leg against it smugly. He got to patrol with his dad while the girls probably were being babysat by Lorelai and Noir; he gave a little snicker, then bounded back to his father's side.
Vagabond began to circle back towards the dens, by this time Vale's body would be growing tired and would need the rest. "Remember that it smells different, that is how you know that it is the border." I really hope this makes sense. He thought it was important for Vale to know how far he and his siblings could go. "I'll be showing you our borders everyday so there will be plenty of time for adventure. For now, you and your sisters' are expected to remain within them with an adult at all times." He couldn't possibly ask his son to keep an eye on his sister's but he certainly hoped he would try.
Vale nodded; he understood the danger... or, he at least had a healthy fear of the unknown. He was still a boy, and for now, he was content to remain within the confines of the forest — there was still a lot of it to explore, after all. "Can we patrol the north next?" he asked as the pair headed back towards the dens.
"We'll see kiddo." Vagabond chuckled. Damn, I sound like one of those annoying parents. "Sometimes we have to patrol somewhere else first. If we catch a strange scent, we have to reinforce our border somewhere else first, just in case. Does that make sense?"
The boy nodded, deciding that it did make sense. He said nothing else as they made their way back to the dens, but he did leave a mark of his own on a couple of sequoia's as they got closer to the tunnels. Before he ran to his mother's side, he said, "Thanks for taking me out today, I had a lot of fun!" He hoped this was only the first of many adventures with his father.
Vagabond smiled at his son. The boy was a quick study, he was eager to learn and had the energy to keep up. He only wished there were more he could offer him in Sacrarium. Instead, he offered all he could. "Make sure you get some good sleep so you're ready for patrol tomorrow too."