Silver Creek This is the beat of my heart

he was not allowed to leave the den, though this did not stop cortland tobias from attempting it all the same. some handful of days ago, the eyes of he and his sister had opened; his was a bobbling world of color, sometimes blurred, and all confusing. however the pup was not dissuaded, staring for long moments at mona and the great pale muzzle that was his mother's face.

his noises had become louder; at times the pup rocked back on his chubby haunches and squeaked out the first few notes of a beginning howl into the air, but it tapered off without breath to support it. 

today cortland was at it again, sounding like a squeaky toy being mauled as he tried valiantly to assert his voice into the space around him,