Redsand Canyon But the rain never came

Another thread towards moving the pack back to Redsand ;)
Forward dated around Aug 8th

Setting: Night — 20:30
Location: Territory #13 — Paranoia Peaks 
Weather: Eerily quiet, warm breeze

Kyn moves along the southern end of the canyon walls. Many emotions run through him, many he cannot place — a few he doesn’t feel the need to. Though he’s out so late for one reason: to lay his claim onto the bloody sands once more. 

So the Grandmaster can be found brushing against both smooth and jagged rocks alike. Lifting a muscles leg and releasing himself upon the earth in an unmistakable beacon of scent. If he’s to run about in the dead of night pissing on stuff, he at least wishes he had some company.

Tulok was much too restless to sleep. This had been the farthest he had ever been from home, and there was so much here that he had never seen before. This was their new home now—something that had been difficult to wrap his mind around. He didn't like change, and there had been quite a bit lately. 

The journey here had been long, and he had been quiet and grumpy through most of it, which would come as no surprise to anyone that knew him at all; he was perpetually grumpy.

He knew he should head to the den for bed time, but he was growing more defiant of his parent's rules. He wasn't a baby anymore. His form was large and lanky, his giant paws telling of his eventual size. He was growing quickly and he wished his mother would stop treating him like a child. 

His father's scent pulled him from his thoughts, and the boy quickly tracked the scent through the red dirt of the canyon. It didn't take too long to find the hulking form of his dad, and he trotted forward just as Kynareth lifted his leg to pee on a rock. Tulok was curious now. Why did you pee on that? he asked. Should he be doing that too?

It’s fairly late, not horribly so, but late enough that Kyn is surprised when he sees his second born saunter up to him. After just peeing on a rock, he’s lowering his leg and is about to say something when Tulok beats him to it. 

Kyn laughs at his question. Ah, yes, he must teach him how to be a man. He’s been looking forward to teaching his sons many things, but for some reason he totally forgot about this. 

So he trots closer to Tulok, a easy going smile on his face. “Tulok, this is our land now. We must lay claim to it. And by doing that, we have to throw our scent everywhere.” He explains evenly.

He punctuates this explanation by trotting over to some miscellaneous shrubbery, raising his leg, and proceeding to pee on it. 

“See?” He asks as he drops his leg. “Now you try.” He laughs with a teasing grin. “You got this, little man.” 

Serious concentration knitted his brows as his dad explained that this was their land and that they needed to make it known.

He watched his father closely as he trotted towards a desert bush, lifted his leg, and proceeded to pee on it like he had done the rock. Then he suggested that Tulok do the same. It seemed easy enough; he had been peeing on shit anyway, not realizing he needed to be more deliberate about where he relieved himself. 

As confident as ever, the lanky second born strode over to the same bush, lifted his leg, and peed right where his father had. When he was done, he stepped away and looked to the grandmaster for assurance that he had marked their territory correctly.

Kyn watches as he processes things. He knows Tulok’s a quick learner and he smirks when he moves over to the same bush. Within a matter of seconds he watches his boy become a man — or at least has begun his trek to becoming a man. He still has much to learn after all. 

So as Tulok takes a proud piss on that bush, Kyn let’s loose a rumbling laugh and a wide, opened mouthed, and toothy grin.

“Attaboy! Look at you go! Perfect.” He congratulates. “That’s how a man takes a piss. Don’t forget it.” He informs comically with a rolling chuckle. 

Then, Kyn begins to stroll in a random direction. “Walk with me, son.” He hums. Then he gestures all around the canyon. “Everything inside these walls is ours. You defend it. You kill for it. You cherish it.” His laughter has died out completely now. Instead, the tone he takes on that is informative. “Not now though, you’re too small. You’ll get killed if you pick a fight with the wrong person. When you’re big and strong — that’s when you fight to kill.” His eyes drift to Tulok. “And when you do, never hesitate. Hesitation kills. Just like that man daddy sacrificed to mommy. He hesitated and now he’s no longer. He’s gone and he’s not coming back.” 

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.

He congratulates his boy and he feels an overwhelming sense of pride as Tulok moves to piss on a few more things. Merely smiling and watching before he thinks it’s time to give his son a bit of a pep talk — a bit of education. 

They walk then, the splotchy furred pup coming to step beside him. He tells him things and watches his reaction the whole time. He sees the disappointment in his eyes as he mentions him being too small, but he continues anyhow. He would boost this kids ego so far he’d think he were god himself soon enough, but there are times that Kyn has to be real with him and that was one of those times. Else they might have another Nyra-Ursus situation. 

Still, Tulok takes the rest of his speech well and he can see the determination there and, god damn, does it make him a proud father. He only continues to impress as he speaks. 

I’m strong. He says, not I will be strong. He’s right he already is. Mentally he’s doing well in that regard, physically he has no choice but to gain strength over time and with age. He knows his son will get there and when he does he demands to be there for his first fight and kill. 

I won’t hesitate.

Kyn grins and chuckles softly. “I know you won’t. I can see it in you. A fucking Saint and your proud of it. I’m proud of it.” He congratulates. “With more training you will be able to rival even me when you’re older and that should be your goal — to best me.” 

A pinch of silence flits between them and Kynareth looks out into the sands they walk through. “When I am gone I want my sons to lead this pack.” He says then, much quieter than before. Turning to look at him now. “I will not choose between you three. You must earn it. Fight for it, but not to the death.” He says this because he doesn’t want him to think that just because Alduin is first born that everything will fall into his lap. Alduin, too, will have to fight for his place among the ranks of his brothers when that fateful day comes…

When he is gone.