When I awoke, there was a peculiar smell in the air. It smelled of argument, argument like I had never heard it before.
My mother and siblings were still fast asleep. I tried to sleep as well, but my curiosity got the better of me. I slipped out of the warmth of my mother's body and stole over to the cave entrance.
I strained my ears to hear what was going on. A few caves down, there was some sort of shouting match occurring between two gnawers. I didn't know how, but I could smell the anger between them.
"She is far to sneaky! This pup could lead to the death of us!" a gnawer, it sounded like a male, said.
"Yes, but she does not deserve to be let out by herself! She is our pup!" a female disagreed.
"She stole our food! There is no other punishment! The gnawers are being starved, and she takes from us so that she can have more? It is not right!" the male argued.
"But she is ours." the female persisted.
I was beginning to get interested. What kind of pup would steal from the rest of their family, especially at a time like this? I wanted to find out.
It was as if the answer to her question had been just waiting to make its appearance. A beautiful silvery pup came stealing out of the cave, looked around, and saw me. Her eyes widened, and she turned the other way.
"Wait!" I cried. The moment I did it, I wanted to take it back. This pup was perceived as a thief, why would I want to talk to her? What if she stole from my family too? But again, I was to curious.
The pup stopped in her tracks and turned around. She cocked her head quizzically, but came toward me anyway.
"Greetings." the pup said. Her voice was astonishing, it was a low, sneaky, persuasive droll. Twitchtip admired it immediately.
"Hello. I'm Twitchtip." I said. My gray-brown coat was nothing compared to her sparkling silver one.
"Twirltongue." she said, regarding me suspiciously. "Why did you stop me?" she asked.
"You really stole from your parents?" I blurted out before I could stop myself.
"Well, I had too. They were feeding my siblings more than I, and I am a growing pup. I need food." she said. I was mystified by her voice.
"Oh." I said.
"You can never trust family. The only reason they're there is because they have to be, if they had the choice, they would stalk off, leaving you alone to fend for yourself." Twirltongue said. The way she said it, I could hardly not believe it.
"Really?" I asked, eyes wide.
"Yes. That is why I am going to run away. You should come. Please?" she said. Her voice was just so...persuasive, it really made me want to come with her. But there was some kind of suspicious scent around her, like the one that always obscured my father. I didn't know what to say.
"I don't know." I said. "But I got to go. My mother doesn't know I'm awake yet."
"Okay, well, get back to me about it." she said, and stole off. I was stunned.
I went back to my cave. My mother and siblings were awake.
"Twitchtip, where were you?" My mother demanded. She looked worried. I hated worrying her.
"Just stretching my legs. Sorry, mother." I apologized. I went over to her to get my breakfast milk.
I had gotten my first taste of Twirltongue.