Heron Lake Plateau it's easier than just waiting around to die

Owen was told, frequently, along with all his sisters, to sit down, shut up, and not cause any trouble. They weren't to go near the pond; they weren't to go poking into cubbyholes and dens that didn't belong to them; they weren't to leave the pack borders. But he was having a lot of trouble still with the sitting still part, especially with Mother gone who knows where and returning who knows when and all of his sisters driving him crazy in the meantime especially since not only Father but also the couple of puppysitters being rotated in and out seemed rather on-edge and distracted. Everyone in the pack seemed antsy, really, in fact, and Owen still hadn't been able to suss out why. Not that he had really gone digging, to be fair; mostly he had just wandered restlessly about the packlands, over the sections that were safe and familiar long-trod ground to his oh-so-worldly young self by now, as he grew not only increasingly fretful but also a little bit bored. He steered clear of all the treacherous and untrustworthy inanimate objects that littered the area that had always made such a habit of tormenting him when he was younger. But this didn't leave him a whole lot to poke at or do, especially since so many of the adults had been making themselves scarce and the few that were still lurking about the packlands and patrolling the borders were all quite firmly locked in super-serious and super-boring Grownup Mode, and had exactly zero time to pay any attention to Owen and his perfectly reasonable requests and neverending questions.

So when Owen spotted a smallish and vaguely familiar face he was really quite relieved, even happy. He hadn't seen much of Raleska around for some time, but then again he'd been pretty busy with other things, and working harder at avoiding his sisters' sibling torments than at seeking out the company of others around his age. Hey, he said, padding toward her as his tail lifted hopefully, but as he grew closer his footsteps stuttered and slowed, and his tail end drooped as his eyes grew wide. It was not just some spindly twig that the girl-pup had clenched between her teeth, but rather a whole entire baby tree. Something Owen himself would have been way too chicken to try for himself. He stopped a short distance away and stared in openmouthed awe at Raleska's impressive display of physical cunning in having brought the sapling to its knees...metaphorically speaking. Did it attack you or something? Owen asked in somewhat hushed tones with a certain hint of reverence behind the words, his green eyes traveling slowly up and down the spindly wooden length. Even now he was leery of getting overly close to the splintered young tree, lest it spring up and attack him, as so many of his toys and objects thus far had seemed so wont to do. Heck, even the dirt corner of the birthing den had liked the prospect of smacking into his trender nose far too much. And then on the other paw here was Raleska: a young demigoddess fearlessly bringing down even the sprightliest and most springy of small and uncooperative oaks. Singlehandedly and heroically making the world a safer place for puppies everywhere, no doubt. Owen didn't want to admit it aloud but yeah, he was kinda impressed by this feat of strength before him. He eyes finally came to rest on the young girl's face once more, awaiting with bated breath the recounting of her mighty defeat of this wicked tree, and of all her warrior princess adventures she surely must have been out busily having while Owen's back was turned for that matter. Owen hadn't the guts to go out and have adventures himself so he must perforce live them out through the tales and exploits of others...right? Sure. Right. If only Raleska would be so obliging, at any rate.