Arrow Lake If you see something, say nothing and drink to forget

Dragomir swung back around with a rapidly wagging tail, his eyes trailing the descent of the snowflakes once more. Somewhere off in the far distance was the sea, where Vercingetorix had gone, but his world was confined to this lakeside woodland in the mountains. Above them loomed stone giants; climbing them was beyond his fathoming, but one day perhaps his paws would itch to see what lay beyond the top. Or maybe he would be like his father, a stalwart homebody whose loyalty to his chosen home was unwavering. That's who Vercingetorix was, anyway.

Aure's giggling made him toss his blocky muzzle over his shoulder so he could look back at her, and intrigued, he watched the length of her tongue stretching into the air. Mimicry was all the rage at the tender age of five weeks, so Dragomir wasted no time copying her. His tongue, pinker even than hers, wobbled inelegantly between his lips.

Then suddenly a cold snowflake lit on it and he gave an uncertain cry of, waurgh! and stumbled back, surprised.