Blackfeather Woods Carpe Noctem

Vaati didn't know what his mother was doing. He heard sounds from her that sounded familiar, and so he lifted his head from gnawing on his own toes to peer at her. He liked her face, and so a small smile played across his lips. His back foot stuck up in the air beside him, hovering alongside his muzzle. It appeared uncomfortable, but the pup once called Clavicus was perfectly content. The weather was cold and there were plenty of things around to bite and irritate. Life was good.

But there were other faces about. Some were friendly, some nuetral. Some were hateful, but the pup had little way of discerning that there was one amongst them more hateful than the others. His sisters did not like him. His brother liked him perhaps half of the time. The shadow that loomed overhead had hate in him as well, but the boy thought nothing of this. He did not know that some looks upon faces were more acceptable than others. He did not know the danger in one versus another, no better than he knew the danger of a playful bite versus the danger of killing one. A truly hateful face would give the killing bite, but since it was no different than the hateful face that gave a play bite, Vaati could do little more than yap at the face that wanted to kill, bowing playfully and snarling as though he had found himself a new friend.

Not surprising, considering friends were merely things to bite.