Blackfeather Woods Atanniutivigivâ

Minutes had passed before he’d suddenly been bombarded by puppies, his thoughts alone having seemingly been enough to summon them all. The first to arrive had been Keelut, who was followed by his sister. Both whelps were greeted individually, the Inuk having pressed his nose to the tops of their foreheads one at a time. The peace hadn’t lasted for very long, however, for barreling towards the small group had come Atshen. It was clear in the way that he presented himself that he’d been the first to leave the womb, his behavior often reminding his father of Alexander; like the dark child, the albino had been the first to be born in his litter. Given the way in which his eldest son had grown, Kove felt the need to be a bit more strict with the newest firstborn. Thus, he’d made an effort to correct the boy’s bad behavior by nipping at his muzzle and giving a stern look. For now, no drastic measures had been taken, primarily due to the fact that all of the other children were there—he’d noticed Abraxas’ approach—and he didn’t want them to witness their brother’s punishment.

Focusing back on the matter at hand, his fiery gaze proceeded to glide over each of the pups, regarding the foursome with a smile. “You four will be learning how to navigate the tunnels today,” he began, using the common tongue. It was rare for him to not speak the language of his family when around them, but he was making an exception for this task alone. “The tunnels are tricky, though. If you do not pay attention, you could become lost or even drown.” He couldn’t let that happen. Four living children would be going in, and so four living children needed to then come back out. “If any of you act out and stop listening, the lesson will be ended and we will all go home immediately,” the father warned. “Do you all understand?” He would not hesitate to stop the journey right away, and then leave the miscreant to explain to their siblings exactly why they hadn’t listened.