Seri diligently followed his mom. She was all he had known, the one consistency in his life. Even now, he was following her as she promised to show him something new. The call came and his eyes widened, eagerly scrambling after her in the paws he had managed to grow into. His jaw dropped when he saw the waterfall, scrambling to the edge of the pool where it gathered.

“Wow!” The wonder filled his voice as he just took a few moments to appreciate the site in front of him. Water was nothing new, but this was something amazing. He had never seen anything like it. “How does it fall like that?” He asked softly as he turned his gaze back to his mother. “It’s not frozen either.” He stated as he continued to observe his surroundings.

Stronger? How did water be stronger than other water? He supposed it was similar to how some wolves were bigger or smaller than others, right? That had to be it. The water decided? That thought spooked him just a little bit. “Water can think like you and I?” He asked softly, that wonder still hanging carefully as he followed the line of her nose, watching the way it traced the land and following how water might flow through it. He had never thought of water being stronger than land before, because it always seemed contained by it, but clearly that was not the case. Water had the ability to move and travel through land and that had to make it strong.

What did he think of it? “I think it’s amazing.” He stated, his voice filled with awe. “Where does the water come from?” He asked as he looked up, trying to see over the peak of the fall without much success.

Water was strong, to be able to not care what others think. “I wanna be like the water, Mama.” He stated matter-of-factly. He wanted to be strong enough to not care what others think… to some extent, he didn’t, but he did care to some extent. It was the nature of a wolf, being such a social creature. He was a naturally social creature. His mom seemed puzzled as well, watching as she looked closely over the top.

The question came and he grinned, nodding. Adventures seemed like fun, and this was one that he wanted to do! “Can we explore it today?” He asked. Curiosity killed the cat, and Seri was no exception. “Can we go on an adventure?” He wanted to see everything the world had to offer, like a curiosity that could not be sated. He had thoroughly explored the territories surrounding their home at this point, but he knew there was more. He knew that there was a lot more.

He would be. His mother never lied to him, and in that moment he knew he had the capability to be. He’d be as fast as the water too. He had seen the way it could run, the speed and lack of care in whatever stood in it’s path. It went where it wanted, and it did what he wanted. His eyes closed for a moment as she kissed his temple and he smiled up at her.

He hummed and considered her plan of attack. He nodded. “I like it.” He stated in reference to her plan. “What else is around here besides the water, Mama?” He asked as he started to look around, eagerly sniffing around as he moved and started to sniff. Maybe there was prey and he could show off the technique that he had been practicing…

They had to figure it out? That sounded like a mystery. He quite liked mysteries. His ears perked up and his tail wagged back and forth furiously as he led the expedition, starting around the pool as he looked at the local florae. He had learned a thing or two about different plants, more specifically, the prey that seemed to eat those different plants. “I bet we’d be able to find some food around here too, Ma, wouldn’t we?” He asked, eager not only for answers but to make his momma proud.

He started to make his way into the forest surrounding the waterfall, sniffing about as the roar of the water died down. It made it easier to hear the softer movements of nature around him. The water didn’t care, and so it was aggressively free-spirited, but the forest was calmer, simply letting things exist. A strange scent hit his nose. It wasn’t one he recognized. “Momma, I smell something weird.” He whispered softly, hints of hesitance reading on his features as the creature’s scent grew stronger. He could see the triangular face and hints of white against stark black and silvery fur. “What is it?” He whispered again softly.