Redhawk Caldera Beneath the black sea

She ignored the pup's struggles for now, holding him tightly and running her tongue over his face and back in an idle attempt to soothe him. Raven couldn't help but muse about possible names for him. He was a black smudge with a fine dusting of silver and the most adorable white tip on his tail. She wracked her brain for birds he might resemble. She was not nearly as well well-versed in ornithology as her parents, however, and could not come up with anything other than Blackbird. They couldn't call him that; it would be like naming him after her in a way and Raven wasn't a fan of that idea. Besides, it was too generic somehow.

There's lots of black animals other than birds, she thought, still grooming him. As her tongue passed between his little ears, she made a mental checklist: Bears, horses, wolves... Heck, most animals came in melanistic phases. The sheer amount of options might make picking a moniker more challenging. We'll find the perfect fit for you, though, she mentally reassured the fidgety baby.