howdy world

He was a bit taller now but was still dwarfed by most of his extended family. It didn't both Cognac much - the only thing he was concerned about was making sure that he held his head high so that his horns no longer threw him off balance. His neck and shoulders had grown more muscular than other pups around his age to compensate and it made him feel a bit bolder and stronger. Mum still worried over his constantly, but his easy-going demeanor meant that he didn't give her concerns much credence. Which, of course, drove her a little bonkers. He wouldn't say that he liked worrying his mum, because he did love her a whole lot, but it was a bit funny to watch her spin out over regular things. Every scrape or bruise was a momentous event. But weren't scrapes and bruises kind of just part of life? Now that he wasn't constantly tipping over sideways due to his horns, he'd grown bolder. Although mum kept close tabs on them, he'd found it was easy to sneak away when she was working.

He'd skipped off to play in the mud near the shrine. Cognac loved the way the water glittered and sparkled. The pup didn't pretend to understand it, and the fact that it was so unknowable made it all the more fascinating. Some wolves seemed to talk a lot of about "god," which he didn't really understand. All he knew was that the shrine was a great place to muck around. Humming to himself, Cog made himself busy making little mud pancakes nearby the glowing pool.