I can't hear very well. It all sounds like I am underwater, but I can make out a few sounds. Paws shuffling, and yips of complaint from around me. I hear a soothing sound, and feel the fast movement of something big and furry before me. "Calm, dawn. He will open them in his own time."

I realize that all I can see is black. All I can feel is something soft, and in constant motion in front of me.

I do an action I have never done before; I open my right eye.

The darkness instantly blinks away, and the new colors hurt. I can only see the furry, gray black thing before me.

I turn my head towards the sound of puppies, and more colors appear. I am in something green, and there are two creatures sitting behind me. One has red fur, and the other has a tawny pink shade of fur. The red one has brown eyes and the other has blue.

I open the other eye, and more colors appear. The creatures that I conclude are wolves, like me, gain a confused look on their face. "Why does he have a blue eye and a brown?"

"What?!" The gray wolf barked. She got up swiftly, and I could feel her warmth leaving me. She leaned her lean, but large head down to get a good look at me. Her eyes were blue like the pink wolf's.

Her face drained of happy expression. I could tell something was wrong, but I couldn't grasp it. I was only a few weeks old, and I knew extremely little of the world.

"No, oh no..." She said softly.

I tried speaking, but all I made was a little yip of discomfort.

"Leopard, dear, I am glad that your eyes have opened, but I'm not sure Brisngr will be."

What was Bringr? What was Leopard? What was wrong with me? Where was I? I had so many questions, but I just didn't know how to form the words!

I tried repeating something she said. I softly yipped something that sounded like "Leopard".

"Oh, you probably don't even know your own name!" The she wolf said. She got up, then she lied herself down by me. I was grateful for the warmth.

"Your name is Leopard; we call you that. I am Mist, your mother."

"And I'm Fire!" The red he pup said in as fierce of a tone he could manage.

"I'm Dawn." The tawny pink she pup said.

"My... eyes?" I asked quietly.

Mist sighed deeply, and I could feel her stomach expand and contract. "Do not worry about that now. You must understand the pack first before I can explain."

"Why?" Dawn said. "Why can we not understand?"

"Because you are simply not old enough. Now, how would you like to show Leopard the den and how to walk? It's been plenty long, and I'm sure he has gotten enough rest."

"Yeah!" Dawn and Fire yipped happily. That wasn't how I felt. I felt tired, and mom was so warm.

I looked up at Mist for reassurance. The look in her eyes gave me a nudging glare, so I crawled from her warm belly and onto the cold, dirt and leaf covered ground.

"Come on, stand up!" Dawn said, walking to me shakily. She tried to help me up, but I rolled over and yipped.

"Come on, get up wimp!" Fire barked.

"Fire! Do not treat your brother like that!" Mist barked.

"Sorry." He said.

The thought drove me. I rolled over again, then tried standing in my scrawny legs. I fell over again like a baby deer.

Dawn giggled, but mom shot her a glare. "You can do it, Leopard. Just one leg after the other."

I tried again, and I was able to stand for a few seconds. Victory filled me, but my forelegs slid out from under me.

"Try again." Mist reassured.

I pushed my body up with my legs. I waited on all legs for me to fall, looking down at my black paws. I didn't fall! I smiled, showing my tiny teeth.

"You did it!" Dawn said, hobbling to me. "Now you just got to walk."

Walk? I can't walk! I can barely stand!

"Come on, it's easy!" Fire said, by my side.

"Just move the same paw that I do." Dawn says.

She moves her right paw, and I move mine quickly. I almost fall, but Dawn is there to catch me. She moves another paw, and I move mine.

Pretty soon, I have walked a few feet and my siblings aren't constantly at my side. I fell a few times, but they caught me.

Now that I am away from Mist, I can see the whole den. From what I can tell, a tree's branches have formed it. I assume the tree trunk is behind a cliff or something, because the whole den is made from the tree's branches. Green leaves and white blossoms cover the roof, and I can see the bright sun through the branches. By Mist's nest is an entrance to the den, and outside are full grown wolves talking and socializing. About five other sets of mother wolves and their pups are in the Nursery. Most pups are quiet, and can't even open their eyes. A few others are running around, playing with each other. As my hearing gets slightly better, I can hear them playing.

I sit down, amazed at the beautiful sight. Spring had brought a wonderful new life to the world.

Mom gets up and sits by me. I look up at her.

"Interesting, isn't it?" She asks. I nod in reply, and look back at the scene. "If you think this is cool, just wait till you go outside."

"Can I go outside?" I ask.

"Oh, not yet. You have to get bigger before you can go outside."

I plainly nod. "Can I make me bigger?" I ask.

Mist laughs, then licks my face with her big tongue. I straighten my russet brown fur with my paw. "You can't make yourself bigger! The best thing you can do now, is explore the den with your siblings." She says.

I nod again, and she goes back to her spot. She watches intently as I trot to Dawn and Fire.

"Can we walk?" I ask.

"Sure," Fire says, "We'll give you a tour of the den and show you what stuff is."

We walk around the den's walls, staying away from Mother wolves and their sleeping pups.

"That's a flower." Dawn says, pointing to one.

"Flower." I say. "It looks pretty."

"This is a leaf!" Fire says as he bats one around in his paws. I hit one on the floor, and smile.

They continue to show me random things, and tell me the names of some of the wolves. We talk to a few, but most are sleeping.

By the time we get back to Mist, I am exhausted. My siblings look tired as well. Mist fell asleep; probably taking a break from puppy care.

Dawn and me crawl towards her belly. Fire simply sits down outside the bedding, and pouts. "I'm not tired!" He complains.

"We are." Dawn says.

I close my blue and brown eyes before yawning. I've been asleep for quite a while, but that walk has made me exhausted. I fall asleep before Fire can say anything else.