I had left the den pretty early this morning, choosing to not wake Teza so that I could explore alone. It isn't like we didn't explore all the time anyways when I could drag him out and about. I felt something stirring in me today, an energy that needed to be run off and I didn't want to constantly goad Teza into play. He always rolled over at the first sign of rough-housing and I needed to get this out. So I snorted to myself as I scrambled out of the den and took off into the trees. They were huge compared to me but I was assured I would one day be as big as my parents. A King and Queen. That meant I was a prince and I sure as hell knew that was my title. There is no telling how far I went from the den, scrambling beneath bushes and up on fallen limbs or rocks, sniffing between tree roots and even harassing a blue-backed lizard. It was quick but I was determined to be quicker, darting forward and growling my puppy growl, trying to grab it before it disappeared beneath a tree root. "vobis diabolus!" I shout at it (you devil!), my small claws digging into the dirt in some vain attempt to go after it. How dare it run away from me! "tlacatecolotl!" (demon!) I shouted again, this time in my nahuatl, switching easily between latin and my father's language.

With one last growl I plopped down on my rump in an ungainly heap, glaring at the bark of the tree for a time before simply shrugging it off and taking off down a well used deer trail. My tail swung back and forth, back and forth, and I grinned whenever I caught a squirrel chattering at me or flushing birds out of some bushes. I came across a few bushes with berries and was tempted to take a bite of them, my little belly growling, but I stopped short because I remembered mother telling us not to eat what we don't know. Something about getting sick. For a moment I frowned, tempted to try it anyways, but then I heard my brothers voice hollering. My ears flick back, my mismatched eyes swinging around but I am well within the forest and couldn't see him.

"Oh well," I say, giving up my lone adventures for today and turning on a dime to race back towards him. I heard my uncle Dexter as I draw closer, my head held high and I leap out of some bushes with an indignant expression (really, I was a born actor, skilled already!). "Nay, I am Teza. Tepi, why are you calling me, second brother?" I huff in feigned fury, moving to my brothers side and reaching out to nip him harshly on his shoulder but it is all in good fun and I do love him, I am just a bit rough at times.