Ouroboros Spine Send up my heart to you

A leaf was good practice — for a much younger wolf, Valiant thought. But he knew that the boy's life had been tumultuous, even if he did not know the specifics. That his mother was absent was telling enough.

"My name's Valiant," he replied, supposing he ought to have started with that. "I just got back from a long scouting trip."

He stretched his back leg, testing his tolerance for the day. He wasn't too sore, he decided, and gave a little nod of his head.

"We oughta get you somethin' nicer to practice on, don't you think?" he asked, trying to sound enthusiastic. He nearly managed. "What's your name?"