Blacktail Deer Plateau eats, shoots and leaves

Only when Blue Willow waved the proverbial white flag did Osprey Jr. finally relinquish her grip. In the same beat, she declared, "I win! I beat ya!" Her eyes glowed and her tail waved to and fro. She was proud of her victory and it showed.

Tossing her aunt a final grin, Junior bounded over to her father and snuggled against him like an overgrown kitten. "I pwotect you!" she chirruped at him, earning several grateful licks across the face and a rumbled, "Thank-you, warrior princess." The little pup giggled, quite pleased with herself and happy for the affectionate praise.

With a happy sigh, she padded to a spot a few feet away from Peregrine and flopped down, adopting a sphinx-like pose. Although she was worn out from her battle and her eyes were already beginning to droop, she vowed to stay awake and keep any other would-be attackers away from her daddy.

She fell asleep in about three minutes despite her best efforts, dreaming dreams of battle and victory. One day, her dreams would come true and she would rise to become a champion, a warrior, a fierce protector not only of her father but of the entire Blacktail Deer Plateau pack.