Lost Creek Hollow springling

Ashlar was almost exactly one month old, and while his eyes had opened, he was more apprehensive than curious about the world outside.  It was beautiful but it was also strange.  He was not sure what to make of the grass, or the leaves, or the spring insects that were beginning to appear.  Yet under the watchful eye of @Mona, he crept through the grass near the mouth of his whelping den.  He had no siblings to wrestle with but did not know to miss them.  Instead, he would need to make do with a small green beetle that trundled its way across the uneven soil.

Ashlar lifted a paw to poke at it, then pressed his nose forward to give it a gentle prod.  Its metallic wings gave a light whirrrrr, forcing the boy to tumble back a step with eyes wide in alarm.