Sota wasn't sure how far the newest children in The Hallows had been allowed to go thus far, but he was thrilled he was allowed to supervise at least one of them on a trip outside the pack borders. He intended to take his responsibility as temporary caretaker very seriously - nothing would go wrong today.  "Okay, now don't get too close to the water," he instructed as they moved closer to the winding creek that cut through the stretch of aspen forest. Though he was focused on his surroundings, the vast majority of his attention was on the Carpathian child as they ambled along together. Up ahead he could see the faint hint of the beaver dam that choked off the river. He wondered what Thorn would think of the sight. The lands were still plagued with the strange fall weather that was afflicting the lands around The Hallows, though how could anyone complain? The leaves on the trees had shifted to a stunning array of yellows and oranges, a stark contrast to the crisp blue sky that they stood out against. He listened to the way they crunched beneath his ways with each step they took closer to the dam.

Thorn was thrilled!  He didn’t know Sota well but clearly, he was a pretty great wolf.  The pup couldn’t leave pack land without an adult and there were so many places Thorn wanted to explore. The boy had a pattern of moving at a set pace with Sota then swerving off to check out some scent or some sight that fascinated him.  After a moment he’d loop back around to be next to Sota.  Thorn understood a basic concept.  Good behavior was more likely to get more trips out.

The blue pup’s head tried to twist enough to see everything at once, eyes wide open as if it would somehow help soak in more of the sights.  Of course, what Thorn had imagined doing at first seeing the water was to run up and check it out.  He had started to leap forward with the idea of running to it when Sota told him not to. The boy reluctantly slowed down, giving Sota the most tortured look to try and win the right to go closer.  “Does it go deep?” The boy's brow furrows looking toward it.  “I’ve played at the beach but, never went out far so the waves weren’t bad.”  It wasn’t an attempt at bragging so much as wanting something to compare the water he’d playing in compared to the water he was used to.  It would be so cool when he got bigger and could go out deeper.

Thorn had to train even when he was having fun and learning the land more.  This form of training included taking his stick sword with him.  Two sticks, one slid through the other and wrapped in vines.  A marvelous weapon, at least until he learned how to make something better.  The boy hadn’t figured out how to talk well through it though so responding to Sota meant dropping the ‘sword’ to ask questions and then picking it up again.  It was awkward but the boy had to be strong.  When he was grown up he’d travel the land as a proud warrior and face any challenge he faced.  He’d be the best, of course.

Thorn saw what he guessed was a few large branches in the distance, not seeing all of it but that was his mind's best guess.  As they moved closer his idea of a few real big sticks started turning into some large but also smaller sticks put together.  They weren’t even right next to it yet and the boy was starting to get a much better idea of it.  The sword was dropped, “Hey, Sota?  Who put all those sticks there?  That’s a whole lot of sticks!” Thorn was entranced enough he started to take another few steps without his sword before he remembered to run back and grab it.  What great sword wielder forgets his sword??

"Thorn Carpathius"

Sota wanted to allow the pup a reasonable amount of freedom, as long as he was within eyesight. At least pups were easy enough for the minuscule man to manage - it was only when they got older he'd start worrying about not being able to control them. For now it was a doable feat though. He kept a careful eye on Thorn as he moved away from him and then gravitated toward him again, letting him explore the things he wanted to investigate without being too overbearing. It was a beautiful sight watching him and the way he took in the world around him, with so much wonder and interest. It was a shame most wolves grew out of such a mindset; it was a good reminder to appreciate everything around him as if he was seeing it all again for the first time. "Okay, a little closer is fine, but not too close," he warned him, caving in easily to the pleading look the boy shot him. "It's not too deep, but certain parts are fast. Something about how the water moves around the rocks..." Sota gave a little shrug. He didn't know the exact mechanics behind it but he'd heard of even shallow creeks being quite dangerous due to the speed of water flow through the rocks. Thorn getting caught in these waters was the last thing he needed. The dam grew closer up ahead, no longer just a few sticks like it originally appeared to be in the distance. "That's a beaver dam," he explained, slowly as they approached it. Maybe if they were lucky they'd even spot one of the little guys. "They build them to sleep in, to protect them from predators - like us." And he had no doubt one day Thorn would grow to be a great predator indeed, sword and all. "Not that I've ever eaten a beaver before," he thought to add. They were much closer to the dam now, and the water, the sound of the trickling creek much louder now.

Weapons, fangs, and claws weren’t the only weapons available to a pup, and not even the most effective.  The look of a pleading pup won a battle again.  With permission to get closer, the eyes lit with joy, tail spinning pinwheel style.  He didn’t rush off right away though, he stayed long enough to watch Sota and listen to the explanation of why the water could be dangerous.  Thorn nodded acceptingly, “I won’t go into the water then, honest.”

Thorn was pretty sure he could figure out where the water was calm enough to not get pulled in but he also understood if something happened to him Sota would be in a whole lot of trouble.  The boy rushed forward, pausing before he actually got to the water, just a little before.

Thorn wove around the water, scenting the ground and then the air, trying to depict which scent belonged to a beaver aside from the other scents in the area.  He glanced back at the pile of branches that stretched out so far along the water.  “Sleeping in a bunch of sticks,” and it wasn’t like birds who made nests, this was more like a beaver attempt at a stick castle?  Hallows castle of stone was much better looking.

Sota said he’d never eaten a beaver and as far as Thorn could recall he hadn’t heard anyone mention eating beaver meat or hunting them.  Though, that only meant so much.  Thorn still had a lot of stuff to learn no matter how much he was trying to soak it all in.  

The scents were hard for Thorn to be sure of, huffing a bit he stared again at the beaver dam, walking beside the water, cautious not to step in and worry Sota.  There was movement on the dam and Thorn got hopeful but it was only some type of white bird walking on top of it.  Another bit of motion off to the side of the dam and he spotted a couple of ducks landing in the water.  They’d all be fun to chase but in the water or on the dam they were off-limits.

“I’d like to see one.  Do you see them hear very much or are they always in it?” Puppy patience.  They’d been there a few minutes and no beaver.  “We should find a way to get to the other side and see if the beavers are all over there!”

"Thorn Carpathius"

Sota knew the importance of granting pups, even ones as young as Thorn, a fair amount of freedom. Coddling children too much was never a good idea - his own parents had been quite lax with him, letting Sota make his own mistakes and learn from them. Never enough to put him in danger but he knew some Songa parents were even more carefree when it came to their parenting styles. He couldn't imagine letting Thorn too close to the creek though, and he kept a watchful eye on him as he gravitated closer to the water. Luckily he took Sota's words as authority and didn't venture in, at least not yet. "Sleeping in a bunch of sticks," he repeated the boy's notion with a laugh. He wasn't wrong in his description, not really. It was a far cry from the life they lived in The Hallows though Sota knew they were lucky for that. Sleeping in the trees wasn't a notion completely foreign to him, though he'd grown used to - and grateful for - a castle as solid and unwavering as the one he and his pack inhabited. He noted the bird walking along the top of the dam, keeping an eye out too for beavers. He doubted they'd see one moving around during the day but it wasn't an impossibility either. Best not to get Thorn's hopes up too much though. "You're more likely to see them at night. During the day you'd be lucky to see any signs of them at all. Maybe sometime we can come back for a night trip," Sota suggested lightly. Hopefully before the boy got too much bigger. It was hard to imagine trying to keep him in line at night if he was too much bigger than him. "We could try," he acknowledged carefully. Maybe there was a section of the creek he'd feel comfortable going across with Thorn? Maybe just after the dam where the water trickled more slowly. Picking up his pace a bit he made to inspect the water flow on the other side of the dam, trekking a bit further until he found a suitable spot. "Here, this spot should be just fine. You go first and I'll be right behind you." And he might close behind. If Thorn slipped he'd be found hovering just over him, ready to grab him by the scruff just in case. He gestured to a section of rocks that jutted out over the slow-flowing water, sure this was a safe section for them to navigate over. He doubted they'd have any luck on the other side in their search for beavers but hey, anything to satiate Thorn's curiosity, even if but for a moment!

Sota found Thorn’s comment of sleeping in a bunch of sticks and Thorn grinned, something of the other wolf laughing just making it seem the thing to do.  Thorns' interest in sticks up to this point had been trying to make a good fake sword so it was practically like looking at the beaver's house as a house of potential sword materials.  What a way to sleep!  Personally, Thorn much preferred his home in the castle.  He doubted the beavers had a bed as they did.  

Then Sota dropped the bomb that they weren’t all that likely to see during the day. The boy's tail drooped a bit until Sota added the next part.  Come back out again and at night?  “We should definitely do that!   Night trip would be great.” Sota had just climbed up higher in Thorn's view on great adults.  Those ready to take him out so he could explore were awesome and the offer to go out at night was even better, especially to see some animal that was hard to find in the light.  This was great!

Thorn followed Sota, gaze shifting between him and the water, noticing how the beaver dam really did seem to limit the water that was able to get by.  That was interesting.  Why did they need to stop so much of the water?  Did they really need their home to take up so much space, and why not have it more on land?  “Sota, why do they want their house on the water?  They just like the water to be right there?”

Sota found a spot he felt like they could cross and Thorn, who was quite happy and excitable wasted no time in taking the lead when offered.  Thorn ran straight to the rocks and looked as if it was about to continue with a full-force wild run of puppy energy but at the last moment, he stopped.  Thorn thought back on earlier, promising not to go in the water.  Sure, he wasn’t breaking that promise but it was obvious Sota worried about him and the water.  The boy looked at the rocks, wanting to rush through them but it’d probably stress out Sota.  He was being real nice and offered future fun times.  

Thorn pushed down the wild energy that wanted to drive him on.  If he wanted to get more trips out he needed adults to feel they could trust him.  The boy took his time, carefully using the rocks to cross the water.  Hopping in the water really, really did sound fun though.  Self-control was a hard thing but he made it across the water just to turn back and follow the shoreline back the way they had come, hoping for some sign of beavers.  His stride was faster now, there was only so much any kid could stay calm. "Let's go Sota!"

"Thorn Carpathius"

Even if their trip back here at night didn't necessarily happen tonight, or even soon, Sota was determined to fulfill his promise. It'd be a good lesson on navigating at night and he could surely work in a hunting lesson too. The creek would be much more dangerous at night but the experience for Thorn would be invaluable - he'd have to come up with a more concrete plan beforehand but he was certain it'd be a worthwhile trip, and Thorn seemed to think so too. He grinned. "I'll have to make sure it's alright with your parents first, but I don't see why it wouldn't be," he suggested lightly. His enthusiasm at the idea was obvious, from the grin that was plastered to his delicate features to the way his tail seemed to wag constantly behind his small frame. Thorn presented a good question and Sota had to think on it for a moment. "I have to admit not being super familiar with beavers but I think they're faster in water than on land. They're not like fish though - they need to breathe air," he explained, certain he was right but not sure he knew the intricacies of the answer like Thorn might want to know. Hopefully this was enough for now. "Being on the water makes it easy for them to flee from predators, like us, if they need to." Of course there were ways to outsmart them, such as hunting at night and lying in wait for them to emerge from their dams, but that took patience and skill, something Thorn would surely learn in time. Sota was already looking forward to whenever they came here next, sure that Thorn would grow to be a skilled hunter in due time. He rushed forward quickly as Thorn hurried to cross the water, though slowed when he noted that the boy hesitated. It was hard to say why - whether he was afraid, or calculating his path, or simply remembering what Sota had said - but it didn't really matter. He crossed carefully and Sota followed after him, scanning the water for any sign of the creatures they would surely hunt in the future here.