Swiftcurrent Creek from the mouths of babes

Bazi's ears wilted a little. There was definitely something wrong with Relonikiv's mouth. Thmart, thnake. There wasn't a single clearly pronounced 's' to be had. It didn't seem to bother him, though, and even though his step-mother had more or less ripped the gift of a compliment away from him within moments of dispensing it, he lingered, eager to become better. It was heart-meltingly adorable, and enough to distract from Bazi from worrying about what would become of her lisping runt.

"OK, when you know what a snake is, you'll be the smartest pup in the whole pack," she assured him, and reached out to trace a fat, meandering line in the dirt. "A snake is an animal. It's long, fat - like a huge worm.. and they can be very dangerous. OK? Don't touch - if you're smart, you go find Scimitar, or me, or another adult. Never touch snakes. They can be black, or red, or white.. they're all very bad. Since you're the only one I've told, you've got to protect your brothers and sisters with your smarts."