Arrow Lake And strange thoughts that in no way occurred to anyone

As he did when anyone attempted to touch him uninvited, especially now that his individuality was emerging, Dragomir instantly backed away from Aure's scrunched contact, though he was noiseless and seemingly not offended by it. He didn't dwell long, but turned instead back to the twittering bird outside until his mother spoke once more. He whipped his head back around to fix her with a beady stare, smiling a wide infant's smile once more.

Ah buh bah, he babbled back, not understanding her any more than she could understand him. He was still one paw in the world of wolves and one paw in the mind of a baby, unable to form words or understand them, but capable of every known sense. It was a period suspended between two stages of his life known as the socialization period, during which Dragomir was utterly fearless and would develop his knowledge of what was good and safe and what was unknown and dangerous. Later, when the world world wasn't quite so vastly interesting and new, the words would begin.

But right now, swaying on his feet with a toddler's precarious balance and eyeing his mother cheekily, all Dragomir could reply to Aure with was, uhbuhbppptth.