Bearclaw Valley They grow into adults, and become dangerous things

Something—danger—stirred in his veins as he watched his mother slide into the water, nearly disappearing beneath the surface. Like a gator, only the top of her head was visible over the waterline as it lapped over her cheekbones and swallowed her muzzle whole.

He lashed his tail a few times, feeling some primal caution zinging up his spine, and his ears cupped forward when bubbles erupted from the slender tip of Astara’s muzzle. It was a little like a gunshot at the races; the second the first one popped, Aventus lurched forward, jaws parted as if to grab his mother’s nose.

But he wasn’t accustomed to the water or the strength of its drag on his leg. His lunge grew clumsy after a single step while the current did the rest. Snagging his ankles, the water unbalanced him and before he knew what was happening, Aventus fumbled and fell with a surprised yelp.

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