Teach me or teach myself

Tiny white toes clicked against the ice of a small frozen puddle the pup had found. He had seen his father walk on ice before...so why couldn't he. White lined ears pinned against Ryker's head as he gingerly stepped forward further on the ice puddle. Following that brave step came a cry of surprise as the pup slipped and immediately fell on his bum. A sigh escaped the pup's lips as he averted his aqua blue gaze to his surroundings. Where was he again...? Ryker remembered he had strayed away from his parents and siblings. The young pup knew that it was wrong as well. But temptation to see what else was out here had gotten the best of him.

With a small guilty whimper Ryker picked himself up and made his way back onto the snow. With a big brave breath he tried again. In a few tiny cautious steps the pup was standing on the ice.

"Aarashoo!(Harasho!)(Good!)" he said in the garbled Russian his father had started to teach him.

Ryker didn't know why his daddy spoke what he called Russian. Why not just normal English like mommy and brother and sister? The pup had also heard Uncle Cyril speak the Russian language too with his father. His tiny dark gray legs wobbled as he continued to stand on the ice. Could he manage to take a step and still stand?

His aqua blue eyes with their green fleck in each then turned back to the safety of the snow. No, don't be such a woos, he thought. Next he bravely brought his feet forward and managed to stand for a few seconds before slipping once more. As he lay there on the ice with his bum and tail in the air; Ryker thought about how he saw his father do this. Didn't his daddy dig his claws in the ice?

Tiny white lined ears perked up as Ryker unsheathed his tiny claws. As they scratched against the slippery ice he began to drag his feet.Soon enough the pup was walking on the ice!

"I did it! I did it!" he yelped in excitement as he stood on the ice.

The tiny male then made his way back to the snow and rolled around in it. As he giggled, Ryker still lay there and looked up at the sky. This was fun, he hoped he could stay here for a bit longer before being called back to the rest of his family. Surely his mother would scold him with sweet words which would make him feel guilty. And a disapproving yet concerned look from his father would be what else he would see.

But aside from that he knew he didn't have to worry for now. When Ryker was big and strong he wanted to be just like his daddy! After all, he was the one of his litter who looked most alike to their father. Maybe one day he would accomplish that; but the pup knew this rebellious attitude wouldn't last for long. It had already started to show as he became more serious which had made his father look at him with a gaze with what seemed like worry for some reason.

With a shrug Ryker looked at the clouds in the sky...maybe it would snow again.