Two Rivers Isle Just A Little Further

It'd been a little over a week since loosing his tail, and Vassago had been rather sullen. He often stuck close to whoever was watching the boys, sprawling on or into them on his uninjured flank. The slight claw marks were already almost healed, if not still just a tiny bit raw in the center. He'd been shy if not full out refusing to go outside, and he didn't go more than three feet from the entrance. It wasn't that he was scared, for he was still almost as confident as before and still as sassy; but without a doubt did he really think things over as much as the little boy could before rushing into things, deciding beforehand if it could bring danger or not. There were few things that didn't, but the five wolves that were regularly around him were good. They weren't something that brought that awful pain to his rear, that took away the wormy thing he liked to chew on and chase. It was half its size, and now impossible for even this boy to grab ahold of. 
At the moment, the little chestnut boy was trying. Pretty hard too, craning his neck over his chest and belly whilst on his back. His ears pinned with the effort, as if it would make his neck longer, but this wasn't a way he could get it either. Sure as hell would try, though. 

Just gonna tag everyone and see who joins since we dont have a forum yet: @Malice @Burke @Aeronwyn @Shink @Pyro

Burke had clearly seen the change in his son. As confident as he was before that was how insecure he looked now. Of course his contact with the bear could be traumatizing but the male was going to be okay with Vassago being like this. The father had considerably softened over the course of the week. In the heat of the moment he had cursed at the child, yes, but now he was more of a father figure, trying to help him instead.

The father nudged his son as he tried to reach his tail. Burke's was really a stump, Vassago's was only half chopped up. It had been a clean bite so there was not infected. Plus both parents kept the den really clean. "Vassago," he spoke calmly to snap him out of it. "It is something you have to live with now. Come," he spoke. He could probably understand that last word. Simple. The male wiggled his own stump of his tail to enthuse the boy.

Yay father son thread!

Vass strained forward and snapped his little jaws towards the shortened wormy thing, but try as he might his teeth just couldn't get it. He was fully ready to keep on trying, but then his father's voice rumbled around him, only two of the words reaching his cute little ears. 
                "Vass?"
He still couldn't say his full name, but at least knew it was what was said when looking at him. Come was another word he knew, and one he'd learned to say, however drawn out the o's were. 
                           "Cooome?"
Rolling to the side and pushing himself up on his paws, the little chestnut boy wobbled a moment before padding towards Burke. The grey male wiggled his own stump, and with a playfull growl he nipped up at his dads bunny butt. Too bad he was still too small to grab it!

Burke was pleased that the pup at least was cheerful enough to try and nip at his own tail. Burke hummed and stepped from the den. He ruffled his fur a bit once outside and then turned to the entrance. "Yes, Vassago come with Daddy," he spoke and sank a bit through his front legs.

He wanted to get the pup outside again. After all that was why he tried to coax the pup out of the den. Plus he needed to know that when his dad was around nothing would happen to him, even though last time he failed. Yet not enough failure that Vassago was now dead. He was still alive, though lacking his tail.

Vassago pranced on after Burke until he realized where they were going. He slowed at the entrance, ears flicking between back and forward. He was willing to leave the den, but sat his haunches directly outside with his puppy blue eyes settled on his dad. He wasn't sure why the dark man had brought him out of the den, but he was determined to not go far. Why should he, after all? There was no reason to leave the den, not when he ate and slept and played with his brother INSIDE. His eyes held a clear challenge to the one clearly trying to move him further out, but Vass wouldn't go down without a fight. 

:3 Yay father son fighting bonding time!

It seemed his son was as stubborn has him. Burke let out a sigh as the pup did not want to move further. At least they would not have trouble with keeping the pups inside their den. Burke looked at the pup and then settled down a bit away from the den. "Come to daddy," he spoke once more to see if the boy reacted to it.

They were four weeks now and that meant that they would be fully weaned first. Burke anticipated this, and brought a raccoon with him, a dead one. He went to grab it behind a tree and then placed it before him, which would mean that Vassago, if he wanted to eat the food would have to walk the 10 meters over to the dad. It was quite a feast for a pup to try and eat the meat himself instead of being fed by its parents.

For a moment, Vass thought he'd won, that his father wasn't going to push it further as the boy ignored his command. A smirk played on his cute little face as the grayscale man stood and began to walk. 
He wasn't expecting Burke to return, and with something in his jaws. The first thing that came to mind was play, but the scent that wafted this way was one that made his belly growl. The chestnut pup gave Burke a glare, ears pinned, and set his sights on the prey. Was it worth leaving for? Burke wasn't THAT far from the den, right? Still the little one didn't move, even if he was fighting the urge to run over and sink his baby fangs into it.

The father watched his son, who seemed tempted. The male started to open up the raccoon more. He took bits of the meat out and chewing on it himself. He could bring it back up later, to actually feed him now he was just trying to draw his son out, because the scent of meet, and the fact that he was allowed to join his father in a meal was a big thing.

Burke opened and began to eat the fuzzy creature that was unidentifiable to the pup, and it seemed the last straw to entice the boy. Standing and sniffing that way, Vass slunk over with his eyes focused entirely on the food. His ears swiveled every which way, but soon he was next to his father and gnawing at the bloody feast. It took him a minute of sniffing and watching his role model, but in his own time he was swallowing little bits at a time. This was even better than his mothers milk!

Burke's smiled when the other came over towards him. The male watched as his son came closer. His short tail obviously forgotten. His trick had worked. And he sat down and watched the young one eat. He would help if needed. Some tendons were tough to chew for a little pup.

Burke took some bites too as he could use a few bites. They still had bits of the bear, but the good parts he buried for later, the best could be used for scavengers.

Vassago had no clue he'd been tricked, and quite frankly didn't give a single shit considering he was eating meat right from the prey. He'd already accepted that it took a long time to do, despite his parents' speed in the action. Burke reached down and sliced chunks off with ease, chewing minimal times before swallowing it down. Vass watched with eager blue eyes, but when he dove in to copy, his little puppy teeth took a few tries before the chunk was ripped off: even then, it took another minute of chew chew chewing until the little one was willing to let it go down his gullet. Irritation built quickly in his chest, but there was nothing do about it now, not till his real teeth grew in. Unfortunatley, he didn't know that was a thing, and just assumed he'd suck at life forever.

The father was quick to give a lick over Vassago's cheek as he was trying to chew the meat. It was cute to see how he was trying and ripping. The good thing about this was all the chewing and excitement would make the pup tired. Puppies energy levels went through the roofs in a matter of seconds but that would also mean that after a peak there would also come a low.

Burke sat down with a smile. Even though Vassago had half a tail and some scratches over his side he was okay, and happily eating. Malice would be happy to see this. Pyro hadn't show that much interest yet, so Burke decided to eat some more meat so the sickling could have some meat mush later to eat.

Vass grumbled a little at his fathers lick, but he didn't really care. In fact, still chewing, the chestnut puppy rubbed against his fathers forelegs. His stump wiggled behind him, the length forgotten with the aching stripes on his flank. This was the greatest day of his life, getting to eat the same things as mother and father. 
Eventually, he was done with the meat though. With a devilish grin up at his father, the little boy took off on stubby legs past the older man. He bounded off a few paces before turning his head over his shoulder. Well, was Burke going to follow? He playbowed, wiggling his rump in the air, and almost tipped over a couple times but managed to not, overall. For once, he didn't try to be a pain in the ass, just wanted to play, since Pyro did so little of it. The little boy even threw in the only two words he seemed to know, cause why not? He had to show them off, after all. 
               "Vass.... Cooome!"

Burke watched as his son filled with energy at least found himself brave enough to explore once more. He run off but then turned around to call him. Burke watched him and shook his head. He pointed his paw to himself. Daddy," he spoke and then pointed his paw at Vassago. "Vassago,"he spoke. He repeated it several times. "I'm daddy," he explained and then let him try again to call him.

He wondered if the pup could make the connection of saying Daddy come instead of Vass come. Plus Burke rather liked it if his son would call him Daddy by now. After all he was his dad.

The pup was astounded by this new word Burke was enforcing, plus the extention of his own name. With wide, blinking blue eyes, the boy sat with a thump and stared hard at this father. The older man went on a few times, shoving his massive paw at the boy when saying his name. After a few times, he finally figured that this new word, daddy, was the thing he was called. Daddy. It stuck easy enough in his mind, but he couldn't figure out how to say it. His tongue flicked in and out a few times, and he made some weird faces before any sound even came out.  
                  "Err...D-d-daaaaahhhh? Vassaaag... Vassago? Coooome!"
Vassago grew quickly frustrated, stomping a forepaw with a growl. His eyes didn't leave his fathers. 
                               "Daaahhhhddd. Addd. Daaaaaddd.... eeee? Daaaaddeee?"

Burke smiled at the determined little boy was trying to say his name, or well, call him. He stepped closer to the pup when he said it right. "Yes! Daddy," he hummed and licked over his cheek. He would give the boy a reward but seeing that he already had his meat. "Show me what you wanted me to see then," he encouraged. After all the pup called him to come, so maybe he wanted to show him something.

Burke repeated it again, and it seemed that when he said it right, the older male came to him! Amazing! Some other words were said, but he had no idea what they were. So when the grey man lowered his head to lick Vass' cheek, the boy bopped him right on the nose and bounded off another couple of feet in the other direction. Vassago giggled, sending another playful glance back at his father.

Burke watched the happy boy move more away from him. But because he didn't call him the male stayed were he was right there. Burke wanted him to learn the meaning of those words. So now Burke even turned a bit away and moved closer to the carcass they had left. Maybe his other son wanted some food too. He wondered if Vassago would try and call him again. Then he could show Malice that later how smart their son was.

Though he'd seemed to have caught his fathers attention, Vass was throughly offended when the larger male turned away from him. The little boy halfway reared on his legs, wobbly, and slammed his paws down in frustration with a yip. 
                  "Daaadddeeeee!"
Steeling his baby eyes on Burke, Vassago grumbled and yelled out at him again. He was DONE with the food, and it was time to play. Didn't his father understand that?
                          "Coooooomeeeeee!"
Maybe Burke didn't know HOW to play. Like the words he'd taught Vassago, perhaps the little chestnut boy would need to show his father how to play.

Burke instantly turned when he called out his name, though it was more like shouting. The large male laughed and then nodded. "Alright. Alright," he hummed and then stepped closer to him. Burke sank through his front legs and wagged his bunnybutt of a tail.

He let out a playful growl at his son. Now he got his father's attention. Burke kind of liked playing with Vassago, but it was also a painful reminder that he wasn't so young anymore. Yet, he wasn't going to let him being to be beat by his own son.

Burke responded at once, silencing the boy and bringing a victorious grin to his maw. So, the louder the better then? Maybe Daddy was hard of hearing, like he'd been just short weeks ago. Would that happen to him again, then, losing the ability to hear? How odd. 
The grey man growled, but this one wasn't mean and meant to keep things away. If anything, it was challenging, and Vass took it. Still convinced that Burke didn't really know how to play, despite the fact that he'd reacted just as Vassago wished he'd had, the chestnut boy launched himself right at his fathers face with a few playful yips. His sharp puppy teeth aimed right for Burke's muzzle and face, and he was too young to bother using restraint.

Burke knew his son was going to take the challenge and soon bounded towards him and his face. Burke lifted it a bit before Vassago could reach it. He then opened his maw, which was a big one to fend Vassago off. He would use it as a shield for Vassago. It wouldn't be harmful for him. It would just be his open mouth protecting himself from the pup.

The male gave the boy a playful nudge with his nose, trying to taunt him a bit. Because well he was bigger, and it was fun. He knew the boy would learn from it, knowing Burke could also nudge him back and make his attack more difficult.

Burke lifted his face and opened that gigantic mouth to Vass' attack, and the boy stopped to look for a second. Soon, he'd coppied the grey man, opening his jaws wide and gnawing half-assed at his fathers lips, because why not? There was nothing else to bite at. But then his father nudged him, and though he stumbled back, the chestnut boy didn't fall. It was an inward victory for Vassago, and he lept at Burke's paw with teeth bared, laughing.

Burke grinned when Vassago was smart and went for his paw instead of his mouth. The boy was getting stronger and wasn't pushed over as he thought what would happen. The male grinned when he saw the pup smiling, yet a true fighter. The male nipped him back playfully so it wasn't hurtful at all because now his mouth was clamped down on his paw Vassago's side was exposed, which Burke could tickle and nip till the boy would let go. His puppy teeth were sharp but not that painful to endure.

Burke didn't move, which one day would make the boy suspicous, but for now he took as an easy victory. It didn't end well: his father reached out and nipped at his belly and nosed at him. With a happy squeal, Vass let go and again went for his daddys grey muzzle.