They were old enough to be free from their den, well, hut. They were growing, exploring, and Beauregard felt so much pride seeing them experience this world, even if it was colder than he would like… But that was to be expected… it was autumn, after all. That morning, he had awoken early to hunt. It had been a lucky morning. Just outside of the territory of the cedar forest they called home he had discovered a mother okapi and her fawn searching for food as they brushed closer to their border. He might have passed them up since the fawn was so young, but a closer look at it had revealed that something had already attempted to go after it. The poor thing walked with a bad limp, and sooner or later it would become prey. Better for his family than to be someone else’s breakfast. He had gotten a good headbutt to the shoulder but despite it feeling sore he could tell that nothing had been broken. After dragging the fawn back to their hut Beauregard slipped inside, only to realize his entry had caused one of his children to begin to stir. A thought came to him and Beauregard padded over to Nolan, gently nosing his son to rouse him. “Nolan,” He whispered the boy’s name. “Wake up son, I want to show you something.” The sun was only just beginning to start to creep toward the horizon. There was time yet, if he got the child up, to take him to an ideal spot to watch the sun rise. "Speech," 'Thought.'

Being a puppy is extremely tiring. With the boundless energy and seemingly limitless curiosity, also comes a need for deep, restful sleep. Nolan is dreaming about a story he had found in a book, its colorful pictures now transformed into sweeping landscapes and vivid buildings in this dreamscape that he controls. The boy races across a long, unending field, the tall grass tickling his belly and causing to paws to twitch in the throes of slumber. In a far-off place, unseen by his young eyes, a stranger cries for help and the boy continues to bound across the land at a pace no real wolf could ever achieve.

Suddenly, a gentle rocking pulls him away from his story and words slowly filter into his foggy mind, tumbling around his sleep filled-head until the understanding comes. Eyes sluggishly blink open, wide aqua orbs finally catching his dad’s face and tracking the taller man. “Wha’?” A yawn interrupts his question and Nolan works to trade the dream world for reality. Curious sleepy eyes look at daddy Beau as the boy slowly begins to stir, his legs uncurling from the sibling he had wrapped himself around in the night.

It feels like there is something important his dad wishes to show him and he does his best to wake up quickly so that he can follow him. Hopefully, he can also bring along the book he found and share the beautiful pictures inside with his daddy. But first, Nolan knows he must untangle himself from the pile that the puppies had made when they went to sleep… without disturbing anyone.

Challenge accepted.


"Nolan Ravenwood"

His boy yawns, processing what Beauregard has told him, but he begins to stir as the man moves outside the little hut that they call home. Outside it is still dark, but there is a light in the air, a sign that the sun was beginning to rise. Beau waits for a moment, knowing that Nolan will need to untangle himself from the pile of his siblings in order to meet him at the door. His tail wags slowly behind him, his eyes shining with delight that he might be able to do something special with his boy. It is only once that he sees Nolan is free that he begins to move toward the stony path that slopes upward into a higher area of elevation at the top of the falls.

The climb will be rougher on his son, but Beauregard is confident that his puppy energy would come in handy for that. He takes a slower pace, coming to the top of the falls just as the colors begin to warm on the horizon. Beau sits, calling softly to his son. “Our world is beautiful, my boy, and some of these things that make it so are missed every day. Watch the sky with me, see how the colors shift and change as the world wakes up around us.” He grins, glancing behind him to look at Nolan. Their first sunrise together, and hopefully one of many.