His nights had grown increasingly more restless and troubled. Dreams and nightmares of confusion and uncertainty started to sink deeper and deeper into his consciousness. As he grew older and learned more about the world around him, learned more about all that he did not know, the dreams only seemed to press in on him more. There were things out in the world he needed to know and discover. Things he could not even put a name or an image to. It was all a mystery that stared back at him from a veil of death. Sightless and all seeing.

The days, however, were different. He stood by his sister, loyal to his blood, and loved his mother. There were times when even that was confusing to him. The pup craved a warmth and a caress, the comfort of knowing who, where, and what he was. But he was growing used to life he had come to be living. As the suns shined down he basked in its glow and followed the trails of this and that. He knew enough not to wander too far, though his being called him to do so. Instead, during those times, he would sit just as far as he could and peer at the world beyond his reach, yearning to explore it. Time would come to him eventually. It just took more time to convince himself of that.

This day in particular had started early, the skulled face pulling him from a restful sleep before most of the others around him. Pagan had curled quietly into a tighter ball, trying not to disturb his family, even as Adoni also suffered through her own nightmares. As they started to wake his attention was pulled by a presence outside the den. A summons brought the pup forth, encouraged further by his sister’s nudge. Copper eyes looked up at his grandfather, a single tail swish and he followed the Alpha’s steps.

Pagan was careful to step where he should, never leaving the safe trail Eden had shown them. It would be a terrible fate to have come so far, be shown a path, and slip from it only to meet your doom. Each careful paw-step Eden placed, Pagan made sure to follow. The rocks could be slippery and treacherous.

At last the arrived to where they were meant to be. Pagan’s nose reached out to the water and sniffed at it. Below the surface the flashes of silver and color darted around. His eyes lit up. The movements were mesmerizing. Just like the world around them, it was clear there was something lurking just below the surface. Fractured by rippled on the water, the crabs and the danger of them were distorted. With a quick glance up at their grandfather, Pagan slipped into the shallow water. His head high to keep dry, he pawed at the creatures under the rocks, attempting to get at them with his clumsy puppy paws.