Code © Skelle/Witchdogtor DO NOT USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

Bae set out this morning, a thought in his mind as he did so. He was on a mission to gather his kids who wanted to fight for their home, and take them with him on patrol and then he promised something more after. He told them before they left the den to meet him at the creek around noon. So with a light sprinkle of rain on his back he moved up the creek. His patrol for the day done. Haydee had left him in charge of keeping Ethne safe while she went to find his sons, which was another matter in itself. Did his children seek to make their parents worry? Was it a game to them?

Shaking the thoughts from his mind he stopped with his paws in the creek. He was used to the flow of the shallow water here and he had an assignment for his kids. They might not see how this could help them until later in their future, but he saw it. Water under your paws made for a slippery surface, as well as the flow of a stream or creek no matter how shallow could take you off your feet. It was important they learn to fight in all conditions no matter what. Tipping his head back he gave a call for his kids who wanted to become combatants in their lives. He knew they all needed to stay on top of their skills and his kids could use the practice.

He splayed his toes and lowered himself slightly to give himself a better center of gravity. He was about eight or nine feet from the shore of the falls side of the creek to add some difficulty to his lesson for them. His tail lifted to give him a better balance. He stood there waiting for his children then. He would tell them why he wanted them here in this location when they got here. He knew the current here was strong but not strong enough to hurt his kids, or sweep them away. He also knew the rocks under the water had slippery algaes on them here. It was yet another reason he wanted them to learn here. If they could knock him down here they could fight in just about any slippery place.

"Speech!"

words: 385

His expedition after the raiders had cemented one thing in Gavroche’s mind - to protect what he loved, he would need to really buckle down and get serious about fighting. Not just knowing his defenses, but being able to really fight when more strangers breached their borders. He could get them to leave without seriously hurting them, right? Right! When his father gave a call for the children that wanted to fight, Gavroche knew he had a lot to prove… especially after his encounter with the calico raider. He still was against the idea of fighting an opponent who didn’t want to fight either, but he would protect Ethne. Predators, other wolves, none would come in and hurt his family or take what wasn’t theirs! If they weren’t nice enough to ask, they didn’t deserve the aid! Gavroche set off from behind the falls, moving under gray skies in the direction of Cattail Creek. The dreary winter weather was a big bummer, but if they made it to spring things would be better. Before that happened however, Gav wanted to get as much experience fighting under his belt as he could. The things he could learn, the ability to stand with his family the next time someone dared come like that… It made him frustrated. He had shown kindness to those raiders, and the big one tried to snatch him! They hurt his aunt! And the colorful one had even tried to bully him into believing her way of thinking was right! But… not all of them were bad, the winged yearling reminded himself. The horned one that came to help him… maybe it wouldn’t hurt to go find her again and talk to her. But only her… the big lady was mean! He would slow as he approached the area where his father was waiting, tail held level with his spine and ears perked forward. His father was in the water? Why? He frowned thoughtfully, green eyes curiously focused on his sire. Um… what lesson was this? He approached the water, seeing it move over the stones, the algae, then glanced at his dad again with a tilted head. Hopefully he would give him some direction of what he wanted. "Speech," 'Thought.'

Word Count: 371
Total Word Count: 756