Larksong Grotto taken away to the dark side

Like virtually all children, Pasha was ever eager to grow up. He wanted to be an adult now, to do all the things that adults were supposed to do. They didn't have bedtimes or have to take a bath if they wanted to. They didn't have to answer to anyone, in a sense, other than maybe their alpha. Or whatever. While he was still getting a grasp on the world and the hierarchy associated with it, Pasha did not turn down the chance to spend a little quality one-on-one time with his father. He could not fathom the difficulties there may have been in dividing time between all their children, or perhaps even the ones that they took in along the way.

So whatever little snippets of advice his father imparted to him, Pasha tried to take it all to heart. This was technically his first big adventure that took him anywhere near or outside the territory that was rightfully theirs, and the world beyond the familiar sights, sounds, and smells was somewhat overwhelming. It wasn't too different in truth, but to him, an entire world had been unlocked by their crossing of the borders. And the grotto was easily a locale that provided a plethora of lessons. The calling birds of the elevated lakeshore drew his attention at first, their songs intermingling with the general ambiance.

And then there was Scimitar beckoning his attention, asking him a question.

Pasha drew in the air, curiously testing it as he raised his muzzle towards the sky. A sky in which today, was spotty with cloud cover. It was warm, but where they were, not so stifling as it would have been in the nondescript lowlands beyond them. He was quiet for a few moments, pacing and inching forward just a little more to try and pick out anything that seemed strange. But he didn't find anything immediately, instead dropping his gaze and muzzle to the horizon and wheeling it around to peer at his much larger father's face.

"Water," he said, brow knitting, "and stuff." That's right Dad, stuff. "Rabbits?" He meant what he said, but it came out like a question because he found doubt budding at the forefront of his considerations. The hare his father had brought them still lingered in his memory, the scent tied strongly still the spot even when they had left the den.