Bearclaw Valley No, child, you cannot have grenades or assault rifles in the classroom

Aventus was growing into a peculiar little pup. When he was in the presence of his mother or his sister, he seemed perfectly ordinary, if unusually quiet. He was curious about new things, responsive to stimuli, and a touch rebellious. A typical toddler exploring his boundaries and learning. In Merrick's presence, he was practically a worshipper on his knees, eager to please and compliant to a fault, as though he feared his father would whoop his ass if he was anything but.

As for strangers, owing to the fact that his soul remembered the trauma of being outside the den even though he did not, Aventus had yet to meet a single one. Indeed, today was the first day the pup had even poked his face outdoors. There was something a little ominous feeling about the world outside, even though it was a sunny and beautiful day. The perfect day for a rebellious cub to try to sneak out.

And yet he remained crouched in the threshold, peering around with bright blue eyes, as if waiting for something terrible to happen.