They were growing, the trio, and Casmir had found that he was almost the loudest of the three, much to the chagrin of his mother, father, and littermates. Toddling often toward the denmouth, the boy hollered and babbled when he was not asleep, questioning, demanding, wanting to know any and everything about the world in which he lived.

Presently, the child was testing his clumsy stalking skills upon one of his father's paws. NO! came the loud squall of his voice; it was his most favorite word.

a low growl from within the den was directed at the newcomer; she was not welcome near the cubs, and any further approach would be met with an explosion of teeth and warning snaps. Pura, however, had earned his right; within the cavern, the beta male relaxed, though he kept his eyes trained upon the pale Niria.

Casmir shrank back as he caught sight of the massive monster who had so terrified him, but the innate playfulness of a child moved his tiny tail, and soon he had gotten over his fear and approached on tentative steps the mouth of the den, glancing briefly at the white wolf before staring pointedly in Pura's direction. PAY! he hollered.

the snowy one didn't go away, and the huge one accepted his invitation. with a glance backwards to catch his father's approving glance, casmir tumbled out of the den, directly into pura's outstretched paw. pay pay pay, he chanted, twirling in a tight circle to chase the stub of his tail with budding teeth.