For love of family

Though he was growing old enough to spend a bit of time away from his family, it was uncommon to see him far from his father still; he was a daddy's boy through and through. He was a serious thing though, slow to smile, far more serious than his littermates.

The sound of a bark shook him from sleep, though he was not necessarily startled. The family den was a busy place and it was rare to find a moment of true silence here. The young boy parted his jaws, letting out a squeaky yawn before even opening his eyes. Slowly he would rouse himself from sleep, rolling to his belly and blinking sleep slowly from his eyes. A look of vague curiosity appeared on his features as he watched his father slip from the den.

It took him a moment to fully awaken, but when he did, he made his way outside of the den. A woman that was entirely foreign to him stood there expectantly. Lark was silent as he came to rest beside his father, regarding the stranger with a cool, narrowed gaze. "Who's this?" he'd inquire softly to his father. "And why is she outside our den?"