No matter how much he wanted to ignore them, Vol couldn't help overhearing what the two cubs were saying to one another. Maybe he could explain things a bit so they would quit sniffling. It was a truly irksome sound.
"Look," he said as he slid their mother off his back. They had reached his den and he was secretly grateful to be relieved of his burden. He wasn't quite as young as he once was.
"Let me explain how things are going to work now that you're here. You two and your mother are thralls, which means if a non-thrall in this pride tells you to do something, you do it right away and to the best of your ability without arguing." He fixed them both with a hard stare. "And without sniveling or asking questions."
Then he continued, "You three belong to me, personally, which means that any orders I give come before anybody else's, and if someone gives you an order you don't think I'd agree with you can appeal to me."
Ordinarily he would ask if the new thrall had any questions, but he didn't think he wanted to sit here all day answering cub questions. That might drive him to acts of extreme violence.
