The lad's wits are sharp, sharper indeed than his father's. Volterra assumes that is Nymeria's influence; his darling sister has always had a keen eye for wordplay. The sardonic acknowledgement of his position as father is noted, but not remarked upon; he focuses instead on arching one scarred brow at the boy's talk of removing teeth. "The man who attempts to remove a wolf's teeth has my best wishes...and also my deepest sympathy for his impending death." Reaching into a wolf's mouth, attacking Volterra...both things that could result in a swift and painful punishment.

Just wait. Kid's words are sharp, but perhaps Volterra has earnt that ire. He swings his tail to rid his flanks of the last vestiges of snow, whilst continuing to scrutinise his son's body. Aside from the eyes (those ghastly pink eyes) he's a well-put-together young lad, and the beast remembers that his mother had been similarly short, stocky but powerful. He prefers tall, strapping sons, but at least Kid is willing to utilise what he has. Zhu's reluctance to join in the training is concerning to say the least, although there is plenty of time for Volterra to hammer that hesitation out of him.

The fact Kid's searching for silence and solitude makes the leviathan wonder why he's so eager to get away from the hustle and bustle of his small family unit. Like Volterra himself, Kid has a twin sister and a mother, a miniature herd which certainly provided the young demon with adequate company and mental stimulation. But there's no time to question why Kid wants to leave his dam and sibling in search of solitude, because the boy is speaking again, solemn and mature for one of his tender age. The stallion senses a shift in the atmosphere, and he also senses that this could be a valuable time to take one step down the path of reconciliation.

Unless he fucks it up, of course, which he is quite prone to doing.

"Yes, we do." His full attention is levelled on the boy, maintaining level eye contact and schooling his face into impassiveness. He shifts only slightly as he contemplates what to say, how to go about it....the goliath is not the best with words and never has been. Nor is he a man who apologises freely - he rarely ever thinks he has done wrong, and even when he has, he sure as hell won't admit it. But if he is to make amends with his firstborn, and have any chance of that dream of his, then he has to make amends. That means eating a healthy slice of humble pie.

"Allow me to speak first, if you will. Now, Kid, I am not a man who apologises often. Humility sticks in my throat, you see - it's just one of my many flaws." He smiles a cold, hard smile. Arrogant he might be when it comes to his physical capabilities, but he has no delusions of grandeur when it comes to certain aspects of his personality. "But this is one of the rare occasions when I know I was in the wrong. It was remiss of me to not know of your existence until recently. No doubt you have formed an opinion of me because of my absence in your early months, which you have every right to do; I will also hazard a guess that simply peppering me with bruises did not particularly ease whatever disgust you hold for me." At this, he laughs, a short, barking sound. He understands that fighting out your problems is not a cure-all for every Helovian as it is for Volterra himself, although it was worth a try.

"I make no excuses for my behaviour. There are reasons for it, yes - I did not know your mother was pregnant, I did not even know that I was capable of fathering children at the age I was when you were conceived. But that does not excuse my negligence. I should have realised that I cannot simply take my pleasure without consequences, and I should have tracked your mother so I was aware when she had you. I grew up without a father too, Kid - I know how hard it is to not have that important figure in your life. For me to then inflict the same on you, your sister and Zhu...fasz, it makes my skin crawl. It is no consolation to you, I know, but now I know that I have children, I have vowed to myself that I will be a presence in each of their lives from the very beginning. Even if their mothers insist on having them in the Dragon's bloody Throat." He huffs, still quite put-out by the fact both Aithniel and Tiva dropped his sons in the Throat, where he had to send his dragons to witness the birth on his behalf.

"So I am sorry, Kid. Such an empty word, sorry, but I pray it will ensure you know that I am capable of owning up to my actions." His throat aches with the talking, something he rarely does. Now all that remains is to hear his son's rebuke.