"River, Bubble, time to eat!" barked one of the pups' older sisters. The smell of freshly caught fish and crabs made Bubble poke her head above her friend's back.

After yawning and stretching her little legs, the she-pup poked River in the side. He grumbled and flipped away from Bubble. A shove caused the little boar to jolt awake, shooting his friend a glare. "Come on, Beyla brought us food!"

Wiggling his nose, he too caught the smell of their meal. River gave a shake of his sleep-spiked fur and raced out of the nursery, Bubble hard on his paws.

Once outside, the young pups skidded to a halt at the entrance. The reed-woven nursery was set against a large boulder, a bigger den close by on its right side. To the left, very tall reeds concealed a small hole to one side of it. Mint, rosemary, tansy, and honey scents seeped into the air from it. Opposite from the infirmary sat a hollowed stone, a sturdy ledge sticking out on top. It created a platform for the leader to stand upon to announce at meetings. On both sides of the stone, twin dens laced with reeds and grass were home to the older otters and the warrior-like boars and she-otters that protect the Holt from attack.

Next to the infirmary was a light brown she-otter with a tiny pup in her paws. She was smearing his back leg with a salve, his side coated as well. Bubble, concern in her eyes, bolted toward them. She ignored River's confused shout.

"What happened, Willow?" Bubble questioned the healer. She was finished and in the middle of scolding the pup no doubt.

Willow looked up from her whispered conversation and looked Bubble in the eye. "Dew decided he would try climbing Rowan's den. He made it halfway before slipping and scraping himself up." She looked back at the scrap of fur and gave his head a comforting lick.

"Are you okay?" asked the she-pup as she knelt next to Dew. He scooted closer and looked at her with berry blue eyes, a very rare color for Holt Rowan. He nodded with a smile.

The healer rose with a satisfied grin and gently padded both pups. "Go on, get something to eat you two," Willow ordered before disappearing through the reeds to her den.

"Come on, Dew. Let's share a fish!" chirped Bubble and ran to where their friends were eating. The sound of paw steps behind her signaled the younger pup was not far behind.

Dew caught up as his new friend skidded to a stop by River, Marigold, and Honeysuckle. The three littermates were the same age as Bubble and two moons older than Dew. They greeted the pups with excited chirps and high-pitch barks.

"Here, young ones." Beyla tossed Bubble and Dew a fat trout. "Please chew up mouthfuls for Dew so he doesn't choke.

"Yes, Beyla," said Bubble enthusiastically. She gave the pup a playful shove before taking a bite and carefully chewing it to a pulp for her friend to lap up.

Taking tentative steps to the chewed up fish, he tasted a bit and his eyes lit up. Dew gobbled up the rest, glancing at Bubble to ready another bite.

The young she-pup couldn't help but chuckle as she took chunk after chunk from the shrinking fish. "Don't I get any to eat?" Bubble asked, amusement in her voice and a playful sparkle in her eye. At a nod from the younger boar, she smiled and tore off a large piece for herself.

"Thank you," murmured Dew as he finished his meal. He began cleaning his face and paws free of fish pulp, glancing shyly at Bubble as she ate.

She caught him gazing at her with those berry blue eyes of his. Realizing she was staring at the younger pup, Bubble quickly looked down and finished the trout. The she-pup buried what was left and began grooming herself.

"I hope you two won't be complaining of a bellyache later," growled the voice of an older boar. His shadow towered over the pups, causing Dew to squeal with fright.

Both pups whipped around and saw a boar standing on his back legs. He had a grumpy look upon his dark face, black eyes narrowed at Bubble and Dew. The fur on his throat was a deep maroon color, the rest a dark brown.

"W-we won't," the she-pup stammered, backing away with her friend pressed against her. He was scary!

"Bloodthroat, leave them pups alone. They've done no harm to you," barked a solid black boar from near the Holt entrance. Dense reeds slicked with mud and grass surrounded the whole area, leaving a very well concealed exit hole.

The boar in question, Bloodthroat, snorted and loped away after giving the pups another glare. He shoved past the black otter and left.

"Pay no mind to him, young uns. My brother is just a grumpy frog-brain," chuckled the good-natured boar. He gave them a lopsided grin, turned tail, and ran after Bloodthroat.

Bubble and Dew exchanged looks before letting out a nervous laugh. "Let's go see what the others are doing," she suggested. Bubble had noticed River, Marigold, and Honeysuckle had disappeared when Bloodthroat showed up.

At her friend's nod, they rose to find the other pups. They searched the nursery, the den next to it, the infirmary, around the hollow stone, and one of the dens beside the great rock itself.

Voices could be heard coming from the final den. Dew cautiously poked his tiny, brown head in the entrance and pulled it out quickly. "I found them!" he whispered in an excited squeal, hopping in one place.

The little pups crept into the cozy den and saw two elder she-otters in the middle surrounded by River, Marigold, and Honeysuckle. They were intently listening to what appeared to be a story.

"-and that's how I got this," grated out one of the she-otters closest to Bubble and Dew. She showed her audience a massive scar down her back that ran like an ugly pink snake through her thick, graying fur.

"How did you escape, Petal?" whispered Honeysuckle with a gasp. Her dark eyes were wide as pools, drinking in every word of the tale.

Petal scratched a spot under a foreleg before crouching down to the small pup's eye level. "Well, young one. It was all because of your father."