beowulf

Unsure as to whether or not he would be welcome to claim a den within the walls of Amron's Castle, the youth had opted to find himself a temporary sleeping space outside. The weather was growing warmer, so he was not quite as concerned about freezing to death. A section of the castle that had evidently been weathered away by time, and no longer connected to the main structure, served as his place of refuge. This morning, he stepped into the sun with a yawn. Deep golden rays soaked into him, though the sun was barely halfway over the horizon. He was well overdue to speak with Malleus about what he should be doing with himself.

For now, he set off at a brisk pace to survey the borders. His father had done so in the past, and so he mimicked the familiar action in lieu of a genuine purpose. Humming a soft tune to himself, he made sure that the scent markers remained obvious, and that nothing had been disturbed in the night. By the time he reached the coastal edge of the territory, the sun had risen fully above the sea. He paused here, watching the waves lap at the shore. The tall walls of the castle lay at his back, providing security in the notion that no one would be sneaking up behind him. He took a few steps forward, and let the cool water lap at his paws. It felt good to be home again, even though he was unsure as to his status in the pack anymore.

A crab scuttled past, catching his attention. The boy tipped his ears back, slamming a paw into the sand just shy of the small creature. Seafood seemed like a wonderful way to start the day. With a low growl, more for himself than anything, he lunged forward and grabbed hold of one of those claws. The snapping appendage scraped at the roof of his mouth, but he ignored it in favour of securing his left forepaw atop the creature and yanking his head back. The claw in his jaws wriggled for a few moments, and then was still. He crunched it awkwardly between his molars and swallowed it down.

Satisfied with his partial patrol, the young phoenix settled himself in the sand with his meal. He'd finish his border check after he ate.