Just over three months old, Delwyn Zazkex was still very much a puppy. Filled with wonderment and awe at his very first Spring, he loved diving into a stream running near his home cabin, and scaring all the little fish into darting away. Other days, he would spend his time chasing squirrels up trees, flush with the most basic excitement of being a predator. His most favorite game to play, however was War.
Delwyn had only the most cursory knowledge of the growing conflict in the nearby regions, but had developed a childish anti-coyote bias based solely on their being a different species (having no other experiences to base it on). So today he was playing a mighty Luperci hero, facing down craven Coyote enemies. "Take this, scum!" Delwyn barked, snapping at some imaginary foe. "I will protect my homeland!"
Scampering through the budding scrub with the boundless energy of youth, Delwyn ran further and further away from his cabin, and in so doing, was accidentally becoming hopelessly lost, not that he would realize it for a long while yet. Suddenly, his ears perked up at the telltale sign of someone (or something) nearby. Fear gripped him, and all the warrior's mettle that he had been exhibating melted away. "Who's there? he yipped.