Wraith woke before dawn as was habit and unfurled from his place around Piety and Cyril in the den. A long and languid stretch preceded the male looking down at his mate and son with adoration as the slept peacefully. He had half a mind to leave the pair of them as they were, but he'd promised himself last night to not be weak and give in to that want this morning. It was time his son learned the terrain in an actual ordained tour rather than sneaking after him like a thief. A loud, not at all subtle thief at that.

He nuzzled his mate gently before nudging the boy to wakefulness. Quietly so as not to disturb the rest of the back, he grumbled in Cyril's ear that the birds woke sooner than he did though there was obvious mirth in his tone. "You'll miss out on the Lowlands if you don't get up," he warned, certain the threat of missing out on such an adventure would be enough to get the pup up and moving. Wraith turned and ducked out of the den, not bothering to look back to see if the boy was scrambling to follow.

Though it was eastward that the sky was beginning to show hints of orange and pink with the pending sunrise, the black brute angled to the western border and trotted at an easy pace, though with Cyril's growing legs, he would likely have to work harder to keep up.

Wraith's lips curled into a wry smile as he heard his son scrambling after him. He hadn't doubted that Cyril would wake with the promise of such an adventure. Honestly, imagining the boy sleeping through the offer and later discovering what he missed out on was another source of amusement, but the leader was grateful he had the chance to show the pup around. He heard the tip tip tap tip of his tiny claws against the rocks and felt a surge of protective love. Aside from Piety, Cyril had become his world and reason for living. And he would always, always do his best by him.

At the boy's whispered question, he turned back and nodded with a smile, though his amber eyes warned the boy to remain quiet until they reached the bottom and were out of earshot of the others. He helped the lad as needed so no tragic tumble was taken off the edge.  As for their disappearance, Piety wouldn't miss them; the pair of them had discussed this little tour the evening before after Cyril had already fallen asleep. Honestly, Wraith was surprised the boy had truly been sleeping and not eavesdropping. When he was a wee one, he would have feigned sleep in an instant to listen to his parents' whispering at night.

He had no true destination, but as he walked, the brute considered circling around the Antler Ring before returning for home. With the pup in tow, it would likely take most of the day and with any luck, he would be thoroughly exhausted so that he and Piety may have some alone time in the evening. The black man nodded to himself, satisfied with the decision.

Only once they were away from the Monadnock did Wraith finally turn to the pup at his side to address him. "Past the rock," the father affirmed, speaking of the stone that marked the boundaries of the boy's freedom. As the pair neared it, Wraith eased his smooth trot into a slow lope as if to bring forth another surge of adrenaline for Cyril at leaving the extent of the world as he knew it.

"When I go out on patrols, I'm looking for signs that our scent borders have been undisturbed by other wolves as well as refreshing them. It's so all outsiders know who owns this territory and that a pack will defend it. Like the knights of the Old Code, it is my responsibility as it is the responsibility of every able-bodied wolf, to defend the helpless and uphold the weak." Wraith frowned. Perhaps that was too heavy of a lesson for one so young. His eyes met those pretty blues and he couldn't help the grin. "A lesson for another day. What do you want to see?"

The way @Cyril hung onto every word Wraith had to say never failed to bring a smile. The depth of his pride could not be tampered down even for propriety's sake. He didn't care at all if his son knew just how proud of every step he took that he was; in fact, he wanted him to know! The boy deserved everything Wraith could offer save his temper, and for that, Cyril would be hard-pressed to receive it. Though he knew the little one couldn't comprehend all he said, he looked too damn cute trying. The way his brows crunched up in concentration and the serious look on his face... It was too much.

And all of that seriousness vanished the moment he asked what Cyril wanted to see. Too often, Wraith felt parents didn't indulge their pups in what they wanted to do. So often, it was do this, learn this, go here, don't do that. While the black male was certainly guilty of that, he hoped to provide more opportunities for the lad to explore safely and keep out of trouble. There would be no repeat of last year's litter fighting with other packs. Of that, he would remain firm on.

But now was not the time for such thoughts. His amber eyes laughed even in the dark of the dawn. "My favorite?" He paused in consideration. His favorite place that was not the Monadnock was likely Edge Stone Pool. He recalled with fondness how he and Piety had discovered the place in the heart of winter when all was frozen over and couldn't help but smile at the memory. But that was nearly in the opposite direction of where they were headed. Though he hated to disappoint the lad, he still intended to patrol the western borders this morning. "How about my second favorite since we're heading that way anyway?" he asked, hoping to be gifted with smiles rather than frowns. He knew of Cyril insisted, he would cave to his demands - and what sort of example did that leave the boy with? No matter. For this day, at least, he would acquiesce without too much complaint.

Crinkles formed at the edges of Wraith's eyes as his smile widened. It was pitiful how easily his son could undo any form of restraint that he had. The black behemoth could strike an imposing figure, could contemplate throwing a betrayer from the peak of the Monadnock, could brawl with the best of them, and yet his insides could be rendered mush with just a look from this pup. The power @Cyril held over him was dangerous indeed. It was even harder to deny the boy things he wanted than it had ever been compared to @Odin and @Kara.

"Good," he murmured with approval, dipping his muzzle to lick Cyril's forehead gently. At the boy's question, Wraith chuckled warmly, the deep timbre of his voice lilting in the space between them. "You'll see," he promised, picking up his pace only when he determined Cyril could match his gait well enough.

He gave a bark of encouragement before pulling ahead with a laugh to encourage the boy to run full out, though he made sure to keep ahead for safety purposes. As they approached the Antler Ring, Wraith's golden eyes surveyed the area to ensure there was no risk to his son. When nothing seemed amiss, the black male mounted the rise and bounded over the circle of bleached antlers to stand in the center. He looked back to Cyril and tossed his head in encouragement for his son to join him.

There were few places that held an otherworldly aura. In Wraith's opinion, the Antler Ring was among them. There was something ethereal about the arrangement of interwoven antlers that left one to wonder just how and why they were placed in such a way. Peculiar, too, was the way that they never seemed disturbed no matter the weather. It was a mystery he didn't feel the need to solve; one he was content to just leave alone.

Was it really any wonder that Cyril seemed as mystified by the place as Wraith did? This place had a power to it that even a youngling could recognize. The wolf nodded with approval. "It's called the Antler Ring." The large male lay in the center, inviting Cyril to join him. "I don't know how or why it's here," he admitted softly. That alone must have been awe-inspiring alone, for Wraith could not recall the last time he did not know the answer to one of his son's questions. It served as proof that there was so much out there in the world to be discovered still and always so much to learn.

Wraith remained quiet for a while after that, content to watch Cyril investigate and explore, curious of his thoughts. He was suddenly glad to have brought his son here rather than to Edge Stone Pool; if he was this interested in this place, it could only make the first place where he and his mother got to know each other that much more exciting.

Finally, when he could bear the silence no longer, Wraith asked, "What do you think?"