Fallen Tree Cove So give me something beautiful

Diantha followed Nash as he led them closer to the lake. It seemed a funny thing, that her dad and Nash had grown up on the lake the same as her... and yet things were so different. The land around her looked familiar yet strange. She couldn't imagine calling this place home when just on the other side of the water was Sanguine Cove. It seemed a much better place to settle down anyway. What was her grandpa thinking?

He pointed out the fallen tree and Di paused. Their den was under a tree? That seemed silly. Didn't it get cold, or cramped? She glanced at Matos then crept forward, sniffing at the space. The air was stale, but the hollowed out area was larger than she expected. Di looked back at Nash when he spoke again, sitting and sending them out to explore. She looked again to Matos to take the lead. Where he wanted to explore, she would join him.

Dark audits stood at attention as he listen to his father talk as he led them to the old communal den. His head tilted in confusion as his dual colored gaze looked over the fallen tree. Well the pack's name certainly made sense now. He met Di's gaze before moving toward the gaggle of roots. Wasn't anyone worried about it rolling further down the slope? his coal nose searched around the entrance, picking up the same stale scent that his agemate did. He took a step into the mouth and allowed his eyes to adjust. The den was large, similar to theirs, but that made sense considering the size of their pack, and he imagined that Fallen Tree Cove was just as big.

Once he had his fill the inky boy backed out of the den and looked to the downed tree once more. Had anyone tried to climb it before? Had his dad? "Hey Dad, did ya n' Uncle Al n' Uncle Chan use to climb up here?" he asked as he began to scale the roots. Of they were strong enough to hold up this old tree and not squish the den then surely it could hold his weight. Maybe Dad could tell more stories while he and Di climbed about.

Diantha stood aside and Nash watched her with some concern. Their young ones seemed to be slowly drifting off one at a time and now her last littermate had vanished. At least she hadn't run off looking for him.

Nash's attention was quickly drawn back to his own son who was now beginning to climb the fallen tree that gave the original pack their namesake. He snorted. "Your uncles Chan and Al are a year older than me, and neither were really around much that I can remember. Not when I was young, anyway." Nash had spent his fair share of time outside the borders as a youngster, even before dad died and everyone else left...