The weather seemed to be on the little Kael’s side, which meant he was spending more time outside the den, exploring every nook and cranny he was able to hobble over to. He was careful to not venture too far, for he was still wary of the rocky terrain that surrounded his den. Cyril had fallen off his rock a few times and the landings were definitely not graceful; therefore, they typically resulted in a few bruises. Thankfully these falls mostly occurred when his mother was not present, for he did not want her to fret over him. Although he enjoyed spending most of his time with the scarred dove Cyril knew that she couldn’t watch over him all the time. He was beginning to understand that, just like his father, Piety was a very important part of the pack. As much as he wanted to keep her to himself he knew that couldn’t always be the case.

As the dove spoke out Cyril was tucked behind a boulder behind his mother, his baby blues trained on her pale figure as he peaked around the side. A wicked grin stretched across his dark lips as his rump wiggled in excitement. He struggled to remain as silent as possible, for he did not want to foil his own plans. Inhaling slowly the boy crept forward, leaving the safety of the boulder behind as he closed in on his mother’s hindquarters. Once he got within range the Kael sprung forward, his forepaws extended as he reached for her tail. However, he did not expect her to pull away from the warm stone. A startled chirp erupted from his maw as he missed his mark, his soft belly colliding with the ground. “Walk!” He repeated through a wince, a grin still perched lazily across his dark features. “Wh’r?”

The ebony Kael clumsily collected himself from the ground as his mother spoke. Cyril, of course, wanted to explore the vast landscape at the bottom of the monadnock but he did not know if that would be too far for his little legs. He was getting stronger and was able to walk a little further which each day that passed, but naps were still crucial.

Without hesitation the boy followed his mother off the stone, his paws thudding happily against the warm ground as he padded past her. His denim blues narrowed softly as he studied their surroundings, for he was unsure of where they should go. Cheedo had taken him to the den with all the smelly pee-ants, his nose scrunching at the memory, so he wanted to do (and see) something different today. “T’is way!” He chirped as he motioned to his left and sauntered ahead without waiting for his mother to take the lead. There was still so much on the chunk of rock he had not yet seen and he was determined to see everything. “Ho’beeg?” He asked, referring to the size of the monadnock. In his current state Cyril was certain it would take him days to see the entire rock. Mother would certainly scold him if he tried without her supervision—or his father’s.

With his chin held high he carried on forward, glancing over his shoulder occasionally to ensure that his scarred mother was still following behind. He knew that she would have no problems keeping up with him—if anything it was him that was holding her back. Over-sized paws and short, stubby legs were an undesirable combination. He could not wait for the day when his legs would finally grow into the large boulders he had for paws.

“Beeg,” he repeated, his voice a soft whisper as they continued forward, his baby blues surveying the rocky terrain that surrounded them. He had only seen a small portion of the monadnock but he did not doubt its size. Even if the rock seemed small once he grew Cyril knew that there was even more to explore beyond his birthplace. He had only caught a few glimpses of the tundra below but his paws itched for more. He knew better, however, than to venture south without his parents. The rocks even at the peak of Whitestone often scared the bundle of ebony fur, for there were many cracks and holes that threatened to grab hold of one of his appendages.

His baby blues sought out her pools of gold as she spoke, explaining that his adventures were to be supervised. He frowned slightly but, aside from quickly sticking out his tongue at the pale dove, he did not protest. Not verbally, at least. “Eees’plor,” he repeated with a toothy grin, his pace quickening as he stomped forward. “Som’pin new?” As the question rolled off his tongue the boy glanced, once more, at the one-eared dove, his eyes widening to give her his best puppy eyes.

His ears flattened against the back of his crown as she tssk’d him, his lips curling in a apologetic grin as his denim blues met pools of gold. The boy remained quiet as she mulled over his request, hoping that his burst of defiance would be dismissed. He gave an encouraging nod as she repeated his question, his eyes growing even wider as he silently pleaded for his wish to be granted. There was so much of the giant rock he had not yet seen and he wanted to see everything!!!! The little Kael wanted to know where he was allowed to go and where he wasn’t (so he could sneak there when his parents tucked in for the night or disappeared to do their adult stuff). Of course, while under the watchful eyes of Piety and Wraith, the smudge was an angel and did whatever they asked from them. Even if it meant subduing some of his overwhelming desire to explore without them shadowing him.

As the scarred dove spoke Cyril’s eyes nearly bugged out of his skull. An excited yip escaped him as he nodded enthusiastically, his rump wagging furiously along with his tail. “G’and!!!” He repeated as he responded to her nudge, his stubby legs working overtime to propel him forward. Where was she going to take him? What was she going to show him? He felt as though he was going to burst with excitement as his cheeks grew sore from his constant grinning. “Wh’r go?!”