Sleeping Dragon If you need it

The growth he'd experienced thus far had unlocked within the boy a desire to learn. He had a favoured teacher, but after having not seen her for some time, he'd decided to head out on his own in order to find her. His usual rules had been obeyed for a short while, the den always staying within his line of sight. Eventually, though, he'd drifted farther than ever before. When he'd finally taken a moment to glance over his shoulder, the den was no longer there. Rather, everything looked unfamiliar, and so he'd tried going in various directions in a frantic attempt at returning home. Doing so had, of course, only worsened his predicament. Once he'd finally come to a stop, nothing looked or smelled familiar.

Plopping his butt down, a moment was taken to try and figure out where he was. In the end, all he'd been able to figure out was that he'd gone in too many different directions, and couldn't remember how to get back. "Trouble..." muttered the dragon, knowing that, without a doubt, he'd gotten himself into a tricky situation. Another look around followed his voice, but never did he get up. The last thing he wanted to do was get even more lost.

Tags are for visibility.

The puppies were gaining more freedoms these days. They’re legs were getting longer and their bodies were filling out. They still mostly looked like potatoes with legs. If they were in Seageda, things would be a little differently—their freedoms would be greater but their protection had been higher. Wolves were constantly on the borders, protecting the exposed sides, and the other was the ocean where things had been safe. They’d be limited to a certain location until they were big enough to climb out but Sleeping Dragon didn’t quite offer the same set of terrain.

When he’d finished playing with @Thyri and @Freyja, pushing them around and holding them on the ground to test their balance and reaction time, he’d managed to count only three puppies. Gyda was working with Eske then and Gavriel had already been up and on his feet in search for his son.

It doesn’t take long to find him but Gavriel does get turned around a few times when trying to follow the scent he’s left behind. Not wanting to worry anyone nearby just yet, Gavriel takes a deep breath to settle himself and continue his search until he sees a ball of fluff plopped down on the ground several yards away. Not wanting to startle the boy, Gavriel slows his gait and chuffs lowly as he approaches.

“Hvitserk,” he says in a low rumble, “you know better.”

Before long, his attention was pulled towards the sound of a chuff, eyes finding their way up to the male's face before sliding back away towards the ground. He did know better, and often did well to stay close to home, but he'd slipped up earlier. He'd allowed for himself to get all turned around until he'd naught the slightest of clues as to where he was. Luckily, he'd been found, but trouble did indeed seem to be in his future. Having yet to stand, he'd only turned his body to face his father, mouth opening as if he were about to speak. Before any words had come out, though, he'd closed it back up and frowned. His voice was there to be used, yes, but he avoided it more often than not. Even then, when he could have explained for why he'd wandered so far, he'd not said a word.

A second had passed, perhaps even two, before Hvit had finally stood and walked towards the adult. He'd stopped once he was but a few inches away, waiting, then, to be led back home. It was his own doings that had gotten him lost, but he was sure that he wouldn't be left to his own devices in order to return home. And so he'd wait for the elder to start moving again, dreading whatever might result from his misdoings, but looking forward to being back in an area that he knew.

The boy sits there in silence for a moment but when he moves, Gavriel softens his features. He doesn't try to explain himself and instead accepts the fate he'll be given. There's no resistance, either, and so Gavriel doesn't have to chase or hold him down. Perhaps it had been something as simple as wandering away a little too far.

"Let's see if you can find your way back," he offers, looking down at the boy for a moment. "I'll be right here the whole time. Just track your way back to the den."

Gavriel's ears move forward and he gives Hvitserk an encouraging smile. Hopefully, with him nearby, he won't have to worry about his safety or what is lurking around the corner, and give him a chance to really learn his tracking skills on his own.

To be led back was what he wanted, and so he'd waited, but was only offered words. A suggestion, or perhaps it was a challenge, to find out how to get back on his own. Away from the ground and towards the features of his father he'd looked, a frown dragging the corners of his lips down. He didn't want to find out how to get back on his own, he wanted to be taken home, and had expected the man to do so. After all, the adults were there to watch out for him and fix things, weren't they? Gavriel wasn't doing a good job at fixing the situation.

Hvitserk didn't move away, nor did he make any motions that might suggest he was planning to. Instead, he'd given a shake of his head right before inching closer to one of the male's forelimbs, aiming to hit it was his head to encourage the other to start moving. The boy did not want to track his way back, and he didn't want to stay in the unknown, so that meant there was only one option left: Gav had to take him back.

The boy stands there for a moment and Gavriel thinks, at first, he must be thinking about what he should be doing but Hvitserk shakes his head before taking a step forward. The father looks down his muzzle once his son bumps against his legs to, instead, urge him forward. His head tilts a little to the side at the stubbornness shown and he wonders what side of the family that might come from. There’s a lot he doesn’t know about Gyda’s side but his own has their share of hot headed men and women that struggle when they don’t get their way.

In fact, Gavriel knows to be one himself and he very easily plops down on his rear as a firm no.

“What if no one found you?” he says then, knowing he won’t likely get an answer. “Tracking is important. It’ll help you from getting lost and it can help find prey.” His ears cup forward then, alert, eager to see if that might convince him to try it out for himself, but he keeps his rear firmly rooted to the ground in the meantime.

Once again, he was denied what he wanted as the other sat down. Several more attempts were made at headbutting either of his forelimbs, trying to get him to start moving. Eventually, though, he had stopped and went back to staring up at his father. He was not at all amused by the idea of possibly having to find his way back on his own, as was shown by the expression that he wore. It was nowhere near the death glare that he'd someday acquire, but his eyes held a definite look of defiance within their depths. Had no one found him, then he would have waited longer until they did; while this method wasn't foolproof, it was something that he would have gone through with anyways.

At no point during Gavriel's words had the boy picked up on something that might suggest he'd be taken back, and so, just as his father had done, he'd plopped his butt down on the ground. His gaze did not stray from the other male's face, staring at him whilst the wait began for the elder to cave. He would worry about prevention methods for getting lost another time, perhaps around the moment in which he'd need to start providing for himself. As it currently was, however, prey was still brought to him, and so there wasn't much room there to motivate him into moving.

Hvitserk isn’t one to give up so easily in getting what he wants and a smirk crosses Gavriel’s face. He masks it quickly, tilting his head as the boy eventually settles down on his own rump and stares up at him. One brow lifts curiously, wondering how to get through to him that he needed to learn these skills. He’d actively learned from a young age, just as they would, and the future of Drageda. Gavriel may not have had children of his own but he had younger siblings and so far, they were far more stubborn that Hvitserk is proving to be.

And as if not fazed by his stubbornness, Gavriel shifts his weight and lowers to the ground to make himself comfortable.

Still no luck.

It seemed as if Gavriel wouldn't give in, but neither would the boy. He'd never spent so much time away from home before, and it felt weird doing so, but he pushed the feeling away and focused on what he needed to do—and tracking wasn't it. Once again, the elder male's actions were mimicked as he lowered himself down until his stomach was pressed up against the earth. Never did he look away, for he wanted to catch sight of every movement made. In the process of doing so, he was struck by an idea, which he'd chosen to execute. The likelihood of it working could not be foreseen, but it was worth a shot.

Flopping onto his side, Hvit went on to then close his eyes. He'd kept still, for the most part, the only motions being the occasional twitch of one of his paws. Until he got his way, the boy planned to pretend as if he was sleeping. If all went well, maybe he'd even be taken home without having to move a muscle! One could hope.

At this point, Gavriel isn't sure the boy understands what he's been asked to do or if he's just copying every move he makes. Hvitserk makes himself comfortable and plops over and Gavriel cranes his neck a little to see him close his eyes. He watches him for a few moments but never does his breathing slow and even out so the warrior snorts quietly to himself. He can't help but wonder if any of it has to do with being the only boy if the litter in a den full of sisters and his mother. The girls don't need so much pushing to learn, watching them grow and develop their motor movements while the boy remains stubborn. 

With a twist of his legs, Gavriel slowly picks himself up—with the intent to not be heard at all—before he meanders away in no particular direction. He doesn't leave an empty trail, if succeeding, as he turns over a rock with a back foot to expose the fresh ground beneath. He glances back to see if he's been found out before he ducks for cover and gets himself comfortable in a corner of stone.

Eyes had remained shut as the time ticked away. It was a plan that he intended to see through to the end, which would, ideally, be when his father had decided to take him home. Eventually, something had prompted the boy to open his eyes, only to find that no one was there. Scrambling up to his feet, he'd spun around a few times, searching for the man with his optics alone. Frantic had his motions become, assuming that he'd been left there all alone, and so he'd not spotted the overturned rock right away. The only thoughts on his mind were the questions of where his father had gone, as well as why he had been left there all alone. Weren't his parents supposed to help him? They fed him and watched out for him, but when he needed the assistance of an elder, he'd been left to fend for himself.

Once he'd finally managed to settle himself down, he'd scanned the surrounding area again. This time his motions had been slower, his eyes actually seeing that which was around him. It was shortly after he'd begun to do so that the rock had been noticed, and so towards it he'd made his way. There was nothing special about it, it was just a stone. Still, he'd sniffed at it, finding that it smelled familiar—like, really familiar. I-just-saw-you-five-minutes-ago familiar. "Nontu?" called the boy, though his voice wasn't that loud at all. To speak above a murmur was even stranger than just speaking in general, and so he'd hardly gotten the word out before having gone back to being muted.

Gavriel sits there where he is blocked, ears cupped forward to listen. He can’t see his son from where he sits but his focus remains for footfalls that lead one direction or another. The chance he might go entirely the wrong direction is present but his own tracking skills are good enough that he’d be able to find the boy in no time—or so he thinks—so he remains still. For a moment, he wonders if he has gone in another direction but he hears the increased steps of heavy puppy paws and a quiet nontu? from around the corner. The soft voice tugs at his heart and he wishes to stand and present himself, that everything is okay, but he remains still knowing the lesson needs to be learned one way or another.

While the boy had called out for his father, there'd been no response issued. Greeted by nothing more than silence, he'd felt a wave of panic wash over him. Had he actually been left there? The air was sniffed at, and he could have sworn that he'd smelled the man, but he was nowhere within his line of sight. "Nontu?" he tried again, forcing his voice to go a pitch higher than that which had previously been used. He was ready to go home, to lay up against his mother's side and know that he was safe, but he didn't know his way back. The only one that knew how to get back to the den had gone missing, leaving the child to be dealt with by nature.

A handful of slow, tentative steps were taken in the direction that he'd thought himself to have originally come from. A few sniffs to the air and ground alike had been given here and there, the scents telling him one thing whilst his eyes insisted upon another. He was not a tracker, nor was he truly interested in becoming one, but he'd decided to give it a shot just this once anyways. With his nose to the ground, he'd followed the path his father had moved along, stopping several times in the process. And in spite of his distaste towards the act, he'd not given up, moving forth until he might find Gavriel.

It would be easy to pick the boy up and take him home, let him sit in the comfort of the den but coddling him won't teach the things he needs to learn. They eventually break away into specialized skills, whether or not he wants to, but the stubbornness will need to find a way to work around. There's even a small impulse to reduce the stress and just take him back but Gavriel remains firmly planted in his crouched position, staring down at his paws with ears cupped forward for the sound the boy makes.

He catches a glimpse of him and the large wolf leans back until he can't see him anymore. From the brief glance, he'd been able to tell what he'd been doing and what he's accomplished: just a few more feet and he'll be found. Gavriel sits there for a moment longer before he shuffles, the boy coming upon him, and once they are within sight of one another, he speaks up: "Yu hon op ai."

Hvitserk had proceeded forward, carrying out the task that had been forced upon him. There was a part of him that doubted it'd result in anything, but such pessimistic thoughts were dismissed the moment he'd noticed his father. Coming to an abrupt stop, he'd stood there, frozen in place and staring at the older male. He hadn't left him, but had actually been there all along. At first, the boy felt betrayed, believing that some sort of terrible joke had just been played on him. He'd been convinced that his father had left him there, despite how recent his scent had remained throughout the whole ordeal. But, turns out, he'd been there the entire time, sitting in wait.

A second passed, and he'd readied himself to walk off, but his attention was drawn back to Gavriel after he'd spoken. Yu hon op ai; it was true, the child had found him, but what did that mean? Had it been a game all along, then, or something else? Forgetting his anger, Hvit pushed passed the thoughts and ran towards his dad. The moment he'd approached, he'd lowered his head, forehead having been brought to touch the elder's forelimbs whilst a whine was emitted from his throat. It was clear that he didn't want to be left alone in an unknown area ever again.

Hvitserk stares hard at him for a long moment and he isn't able to read the expression but it is not long before he softens. The hardened expression he'd worn a moment ago turns to a flood of relief and soon the boy connects his head to his limbs, whining. Gavriel's ears fall back upon his head and he lowers his nose down to gently touch the back of his head exposed to him. He doesn't speak for a long moment, leaving his warm nose pressed against the soft spot on his head as he rolls over one idea to the next. 

Seageda, and the wolves within, has never been particularly gentle on their young. He'd help train his siblings and others but his own felt... different. He can't put a thought on it, however, and it causes a twist in his stomach. Had he been too hard? 

Trying to shake it away, he clenches his jaw and lifts his nose from Hvitserk to pull away just slightly.

"We will go home, okay?" he says, lowering a little to meet his level. "But you can't wander off if you can't get back. I won't always be there." The thought alone makes his stomach turn again but he keeps his face stern enough to show how serious he is. "I'll show you, on the way back, what to do. But you found me, you can do this."

The feeling of his father’s touch against his head caused for the boy to try and press himself closer to the adult. It was with a thought alone that he’d acted, the idea that the man might disappear again if he moved away. That, if the child were to step back, he’d need only blink and then he would be all alone again. Hvitserk’s stomach churned at the thought, deeming it as being entirely unbearable. If he could do anything to prevent it from happening again, then he would, and so the whelp hadn’t stepped back even after Gavriel’s nose was no longer pressed against him.

Hearing the older male’s voice had been the only thing capable of making him take a step back. It was a small one, the space placed between them being just enough for Hvit to look up without hurting himself. Without even an ounce of hesitation, he nodded, having wanted to go home since the very beginning. Though skeptical about being taught along the way, he was, at this point, willing to do whatever it took in order to be led back home to his mother and siblings.

The boy nods a little to the mission and Gavriel doesn't waste any time, urging him forward. He explains the rock first, and what he'd done, and whether or not the Hvitserk listens to the rest of the way, and to the rest of the lesion, he isn't sure. He does know he wants to go home but he doesn't want something like this to happen. If it meant he can keep his children happy and protected and sure of their capabilities, he knows his done the right thing.

Eventually, they get back to their den and Gavriel gives him a parting kiss upon the top of his head before he settles himself in nearby.