Arrow Lake Because all of us are normal and to be otherwise would make us outcasts

With his head bowed and his ears trained ahead of him, Dragomir was blind to the approach of an adult from his rear. This was an important lesson in always being aware of your surroundings, though he wouldn't see it that way for a while yet. Sadiq's loud call made him visibly jump and flare his hackles along the entire length of his spine. His hindquarters curved toward the ground as he spun around to face the white-haired male wolf who had called to him.

The eyes of a child knew no discrimination; even telling others apart without scent was sometimes difficult and he wasn't close enough to get a whiff of Sadiq yet. He thought it was Aure, and that only seemed to heighten his submission, for she had never called out to him in that booming fashion before. With a nervous lash of his tongue over his tiny lips, the pup pressed his belly toward the ground and softly whined up at Sadiq, as though to say, mummy, what did I do wrong?

The temptation to explore and continue following the trails was strong, and he cast a longing look off in the direction he'd been going, but Dragomir knew better than to test this wolf he thought was his mother. She was not normally stern, but even the promise of firmness was enough to cow him.