Redsand Canyon But the rain never came

That’s how a man takes a piss. Don’t forget it.

A man. That word resonated deep within the quiet boy. He was desperate to no longer be viewed as a child. He wanted to be taken seriously—treated with respect like he saw the other members of their pack treat his parents; he felt it was his right being the son of the grandmaster. So he lifted his chin and searched for a few other places to pee on. For every tree, bush, and rock he marked, he thought: mine.

His father commanded him to walk with him, and Tulok obeyed, quickly placing himself next to Kynareth's large form. He looked around with silent appraisal as his dad explained that it was all theirs to defend. And he would defend it; there was no doubt or fear in his mind about that.

But his father's next words made him stiffen. 

Not now though, you’re too small.

Tulok resented those words, mostly because it hurt his pride in a big way to hear them from Kynareth, who he looked up to. His dad's approval meant everything to him; it was how he judged his own value. He would just have to prove his father wrong.

The dark boy listened closely as his father commanded that he never hesitate to kill when it needed to be done. Tulok nodded. I'm strong, he said. I won't hesitate. He had watched his father kill the stranger while his mother watched. He hadn't looked away once. Kynareth had looked so powerful, then. Tulok wanted to wield that kind of power.