Feed the flames

Callie watches her older cousin, bright eyes sparkling with amazement at everything he has done and will do. When she finds a branch that can serve as a sword, the smaller pup hoists it and shows it off to Thorn while enthusiastically asking him to teach her. Luckily, he agrees to show her what he knows after tying off the alpaca. Ears perk forward to catch every word of wisdom he has to offer, nodding fervently, with the branch sticking out of her mouth, at his words about carrying the sword at all times. From this day forward, Caladia will not be caught without a branch in her maw.

Tail wags fast as Thorn continues to speak and Callie’s mismatched eyes widen as he instructs her to bite lower down on the branch. Releasing the wooden object so that it plops back down onto the grass, she looks it over while considering what her cousin says. Thoughtfully, she pokes the branch at a spot about a quarter of a way up from one end and looks to Thorn, saying, “Handle.” With the handle area picked out, she then retakes the branch in her mouth, biting it about halfway between the end of the branch and where she had marked off the handle.

Hefting it back into the air, the girl rolls the branch around in her mouth until she finds a spot that seems to be able to hold the object the best. Applying pressure, but not too much, Caladia then attempts to swing her ‘sword’ (without being in any kind of stance) and immediately topples over with an “OOF”. Sheepishly, she regains her paws and looks to Thorn, curious what had done wrong.


"Caladia Carpathius"