A Fishing Cubs Tales

Departure

Locket was 18 now. Not much happened after his first lashings and the festival. He continued to hone his thief skills, fishing skills, and anything else. He hoped that he'd be able to fade into obscurity again, Opa wasn't doing too well. He slowly stopped fishing more, he wasn't talking much and doing much anymore. Locket feared the worst. He was the villages oldest and wisest elder, most of all, he was closer to Opa than anyone else. But he was on thin ice with the village, his repeat thievery put him up for exile if he kept it up. They grew tired of him. He had a hearing to decide wether to exile him or not tomorrow, he was anxious about it. He had to find a way to make the village change their minds about him. He went to the only man he knew who could help him, not his father, or brother, Opa. He went to his room, where Opa was lying in a bed, the iron and mahogany rod hanging on the wall on display. "Opa, is it possible. For me to change the villages mind?" He asked the elder, Opa was the only man who locket truly respected. One who earned lockets kindness and compassion.
Opa looked to him slowly, his black fur started to turn a bit grey "Lanlen Vabeo Retreo...." He said as he looked to locket "you have always run from responsibility... from consequences...." He coughed a bit "if you wish to impress the village... and convince them to let you stay... you must leave, accept the exile..." he muttered "return only when... you have redeemed yourself... you have always stolen what isn't yours... and hurt others..." he coughed. The words were harsh but, they were true. And locket knew that "find a way to use your skills... for good..." he said as he put a hand to Lanlens cheek "pack your things, for if you wait for the hearing. They will make you leave empty handed" he added. "Make us proud... make this village proud..." he said as the else lost his energy, and fell asleep for the day. Locket would chuckle as he put opa's hand back down on the bed "rest well Opa... I'll stick to this exile... and return one day... not as a thief, but as someone respected..." he looked at Opa and smiled. It was late in the day, locket went to his room, and grabbed a old straw doll, sewn from his mother for when he was a cub. He put it and some other necessities in a bag. He waited for when everyone was asleep, and set out from his home. Carrying a basic rod. "One day... Opa will give me the mahogany rod... and I'll have earned it..." he muttered as he looked to his home from the outside, this was the last time he'd be here for a while. He started to walk. Taking one last look of his home from the distance "I'll miss you guys, I'll make you all proud... somehow...." He turned. And began his journey.