Blacktail Deer Plateau Hold your horses now

The sky was drab and heavy. Distant clouds streaked rain down on the western mountain, but for now, the Blacktail Deer Plateau wolves were safe from the downpour. The leaves of their spacious forest shook ominously, but this foliage cacophany was perfect for Saēna, who the adults had soon discovered loved noise. The toddler found silence disconcerting and grew uneasy, so rather than settling her down for a mid-afternoon nap where she would fuss, Kisu had decided to take her for a walk.

The coppery male strode ahead of her, surveying their surroundings with his spotted daughter followed dutifully behind him. She was the least rowdy of her siblings, and obedient to a T, but she was probably the loudest of them. Every few feet she would drop her front half, drum the ground with her paws, then squeal out a raucous battle cry and charge after her father's retreating legs. Kisu took this behaviour with exceptional patience, which was probably the only thing that kept her from screaming (her new favourite form of communication) in his face.

They continued this way for a while, with Saēna frolicking in her father's wake while the stoic Virtúte male led them both on patrol, pausing every few minutes to let his daughter catch up.