Duskfire Glacier times are changing, so I must too

Adventuring with mother was not a rare feat, but being alone with her did not happen often. Arius usually had to contend with a littermate or one of the many other children born to his father, oftentimes sharing the sleeping space with the rest of them.

Today was magnificent for its differences; he tawdled after his mother's shape with a youthful tenacity, even when he did not always know where his feet were in relation to the rest of himself. When Tzila stopped, Arius bumbled in to her hocks and took a moment to stand again, wobbly but unbroken.

She commanded something of a stranger up ahead, most of which meant nothing to Arius, but he tried to make his voice big too; he wanted to be like his mother, and bellowed a mix of baby-speak that followed the tempo of her words, though it was only gibberish. When he finished he felt quite proud of himself, and plopped backwards against her foot.