Nova Peak must gnaw

Swift was developing a stubbornness, but his jaws had not yet grown enough to match, and so while he would have preferred to hang onto his mother's paw and dangle from it like a furry parasite, he was unable to and fell to the den floor. He landed on his arse with a bark of protest. He stared indignantly at his mother for a moment, then turned and marched for the den entrance. At their current age the pups were ready to start seeing the outdoor world, and Bazi was about to learn that Swift would quickly become hard to contain.

His steps were slow at first, and then he summoned on his strength and his newfound mobility now that he could hold his belly off the floor, and booted it. Swift made good on his name in that moment, and disappeared around the corner before his mother could blink. As if guided by some unknown force, he jetted straight toward a young alder that had sprung up near the den. He immediately latched on, and growled as he fought to tear a strip of bark.