It was another one of those days where it seemed as though the rain was never going to stop. When they'd lived with those other wolves it had never really been a problem, there had been loads of places to take shelter. But ever since their adventure had begun such hidey holes were few and far between.

Aegir didn't mind the rain too much, a little bit of water never hurt. In fact, his Ma had taught him water was a good thing. Yummy things could be found in the water. But when it fell from the sky with such force, well could the Little Dragon be blamed for seeking a respite from the rain?

His Ma and Da-and Kyri- were around here somewhere, but he was in no rush to run back to them just yet. He loved his parents and Kyri was okay, but he was an independent lil lad.Like his Da, really. With each passing day he grew more and more like him.

There was no shelter to be had in the meadow he'd been frolicking and chasing birds in for the last few hours, so Aegir headed into the nearby tangle of trees and bushes. Pushing his way through the greenery, the Little Dragon's nose twitched as an earthy, damp smell ticked his nostrils. What was that? It smelled new, unlike anything he had smelled before. So with that in mind, off he galloped.

It didn't take the sharp nosed pup long to find the source of the interesting smell. Hidden in the depths of the forest was a....Aegir didn't know the word for it. It was big and tall and brown, like a den but far bigger. Carved into the earth like a great, big gaping maw.

The rain was still falling hard, pelting him and soaking him to the bone, so rather than delay the pup hurried on inside, his little paws leaving tracks in the sandy dirt as he went.

Shaking himself off with a flap flap flap, Aegir was startled as the sound seemed to resonate all around him. Like another wolf had just shaken themselves off as well. His gaze darted this way and that, but it was clear he was alone. So what the hell was that sound? Frowning, Aegir pressed his nose to the ground and sniffed. No one had been here for a long long time.

" 'Lo?" He called, expecting some sort of response.

But all he got was ' 'Lo 'lo 'lo' ' , like someone was taking the mick out of him!

Aegir would recognise that chirp anywhere. It was his Ma! And rather than be annoyed that she had been following him, he merely turned to her with a big, sappy grin. He liked his space, yes, but he liked his Ma better. Even at this age, when he was starting to get all the more independent. Rather than kick up a fuss, like another wolf his age might, he gladly accepted her kisses and gave a bucket load of his own in return, till his tongue was tired.

Today was good. It might be raining and all warm, but his Ma was here. What more could the Little Dragon want?

At this point he was to used to the little squeaks and chirps his Ma made. They were as familiar to him as the rumble of his Da's voice, the wind in the trees and the pitter patter of rain. He'd never heard her chirps repeat like this before though, like there were several copies of his Ma make the sound one after the other.

That was impossible of course, there would only ever be just one Ma. Perfection like her was impossible to recreate. But then..what was making that noise? His Ma didn't seem alarmed nor concerned, if anything it was like it was a game. A quaint little thing that was an amusement best. Trusting his Ma's judgement, Aegir watched his Ma with his bright eyes and quickly surmised what she was trying to say, or rather ask.

Slapping the ground with his front paws, Aegier bent down into a play bow. Yes! He wanted to explore, it was obvious as much as his tail wiggled behind him at a mile a minute. Springing off into a gallop, Aegir glanced over his shoulder to see if his Ma was following. How far did this weird hole in the ground go? Was it shallow like their old den? Or did it delve into the depths of the earth like some sort of massive mouth?

Time with his Ma was always well spent. But time exploring with his Ma was something else entirely!

The Ma he knew and loved was always bold and adventurous, he'd been too young to notice and/or recognise her submissive when she had showed it on occasion. But whenever they'd been together such displays were few and far between. Now that they lived out in the wilds on their own terms, she didn't have to answer to anyone, there was no pecking system and so she could be whoever she wanted to be. And it was great! Aegir loved every moment of it.

The nip at his heels was more than enough to drive him on and he barked in response. Yes! They would explore the bowls of this cave together!

Eventually, Aegir slowed to a trot and then a walk, so he could take in the scenery around him. This place wasn't like their den in the thicket at all. Weird pointy stones hung from the ceiling and even though they were sheltered from the rain he could still hear the odd drip of water. What was this place? And why was there a musty smell of wolves hanging about in the air? Who would want to live here, where it was so dark and maybe a little spooky.

Turning to his Ma, Aegir offered her a big goofy smile, with his tongue lolling out the side of his mouth.

Despite the fact hat his Ma couldn't respond in turn, the Little Dragon spoke to her on occasion. His Da did the same, so why shouldn't he? He merely had to pick his words carefully, that was all.

"D'ya think someone lived here Ma? Smells...Funny." He wrinkled his nose. Then he gasped as something dawned on him. "A dragon!"

He squinted in focus, turned to face the depths of the cave and roared as loud as his little lungs would allow, just like a dragon would. And to his delight, the sound echoed off the wall and bounced back to his ears, like a beast hiding in the dark was responding to his call.

If they were to ever settle down one day, Aegir hoped it would be in a place like this. Not necessarily a cave, for he knew his Ma liked to be able to see the sky and be near water.But somewhere safe and spacious, that would shelter them from the cold and the rain. He couldn't help but wonder who had lived here before. This place was so cool, he'd never seen anything like it. So did they leave? Had they found a better home? Somewhere even more exciting? Like a...

Aegir scowled as his mind drew a blank.

Had they been forced to leave their home because of sadness as well? Had they left in search of a new start?

Aegir quickly decided he didn't want to think about that anymore. Roaring like a big dragon was a whole lot more fun than thinking about bad stuff, so with his Ma's encouragement, he pulled in a deep breath and yelled as loud as his lungs could manage.

"Rawwwwwwr!" He bellowed, the sound bouncing off the walls like a hidden beast was responding to his challenge.

If only it were so. As far as he knew, aside from himself and his Da there were no other dragons in this land. They were two of a kind.

He knew his Ma couldn't make such a noise, with her being so quiet and all, but he wondered how loud she could chirp. If there was a competition between the two of them, he'd no doubt win. But he was out here having fun with his Ma, so there was no point in making things difficult when they didn't have to be. It was his job to make sure his Ma was happy, and he'd be damned if he made her sad because he wanted to win a silly game.

"Huh. You eva seen a dragon Ma?"

He knew his Ma could never talk, or tell tales of what she had seen, so it made sense for him to ask specific questions. He would learn from her in ways other wolves would not. For she was his Ma and he knew her best. Or so he liked to think.

Aegir didn't mind that his Ma couldn't talk.

Sometimes he got a little frustrated, that their means of communication was so limited but fortunately his Ma was so expressive and her face was like an open book. With just a glance Aegir could look into his Ma's eyes and see how she felt, what was on her mind. Were they shiny and wide? Then she was as happy as could be, floating on cloud nine,But on the flip side, if her eyes were dull and her gaze downcast then she was anything but.

These days she seemed happy and Aegir liked to think he played a big part in that, that it was a talent of his and his alone. But then again his Da made her smile a lot too and so did Kyri, from time to time. So perhaps they had gained some of his magical powers by being in his proximity, or something equally as outlandish as that.

When his Ma pressed her nose to his chest he couldn't help but tilt his head in confusion. What was she trying to say? Being the smart lad that he was it only took him a moment or so to remember what he'd been talking about. Dragons. Ma was saying she had met a dragon, that he was one!

As fast as a flash of lightning, his tail began to wag as he held himself as tall as he could manage. Yes, he was a dragon! The mightiest of them all...aside from his Da. He wasn't quite as big or strong as he was but one day he would be, or so he hoped.

"Yeah! Da too! We're gonna rule the world one day Ma, jus' you see!"

A boy could dream.

Enough talk, they had more exploring to do.

"C'mon Ma, leggo, wan see how far it goes."He told her, stomping his paws for dramatic emphasis.