Moonspear these are the lessons in love

attn: @Osiris @Atlas @Antares @Vega

She carried with her a dead fox and coyote alike. Either critter had come too close for her own comfort to the borders of Moonspear, though as of late they did fortunately seem to keep well enough away. These two, though, were the exception to that; Hydra came to her children with little more than a smarting knick upon her foreleg that would heal in days earned from the surprising rebuttal of the wily 'yote. The creature was far worse for wear than she was, though for the most part it was, well, whole. Her more vicious methods were not utilized in favor of the opportunity that came from bringing them to her cubs in one piece. None other than their own father had assisted her in the matter of removing the pests, and she thought fondly of @Dirge who likely still scouted for trouble.

Hydra dropped the deceased animals near the mouth of the whelping den, and her arrival effectively relieved @Lyra from her duty of monitoring them. After a brief bout of jaw-sparring with her twin, Lyra went to stretch her own legs—though kept close, as ever. The mother summoned her brood to her with a low, crooning note, tail waving behind her.

Vega liked it when Lyra babysat -- it was like being with her mom, only not. There were subtle differences between Lyra and Hydra, and the young girl loved to study them. She and her siblings were alike in some ways, too, but not quite as much as her aunt and mother -- and it fascinated her.

When Hydra returned home, Vega watched with the same rapturous interest as the two older females clashed with their teeth for a moment -- not in an unfriendly way, but with an intensity that stirred Vega's own instincts. Her hackles prickled with excitement as she watched the brief exchange, and then, as Lyra departed, her attention shifted obediently to her mother and the prizes she had brought.

The girl approached, her nose working as she sniffed at the carcasses of the fox and coyote. One was large and more greyish in color, while the other was smaller with red-hued fur. They both smelled of death, but there were distinctions between their personal odors. In addition, she also noted an extra fragrance of blood coming from Hydra's foreleg, though when she looked, she saw that it was just a small cut. Vega was nothing if not observant. She licked her lips then glanced up at Hydra, awaiting instructions.

Atlas was dozing when Hydra left. He wasn't all that surprised to wake up and see aunt Lyra in her place, watching over them as she has since their birth. Or that's what it seems like. He cannot summon a memory where his aunts were not nearby. Their lives and idiosyncrasies are so entwined with Hydra's, he often questions if they have any individual cares of their own. A very curt and rude question to ask, that. Oops. Turns out some topics should not be voiced at all.

It does not bother him all that much.

Just kidding.

He sits away from the group and sulks.

It is then their mother comes strolling languidly onto the scene, two newfangled critters swaying from her mouth. Atlas follows in his sister's steps, more than ready to be done pouting by this point. He omits the jaw spar in lieu of the lifeless bodies she's brought back, clearly enraptured. Approaching the animals, he carefully runs his nose along the fox, sniffing and inspecting in equal measure. The small fox has ruddy fur, it's tail tipped in a painterly white blot. The larger coyote — which looked more canine than the fox — would have blended seamlessly with brushy grasses. Outside of those assessments, Atlas comes back to his sister's side, taking after her and looking expectantly at Hydra. What did she have planned for her brood?

Quite content in his own little bubble, under Lyra's watchful gaze, he had prowled all over her nearest vicinity--largely ignoring his siblings for much of it, and instead opting to focus on his scenery. It kept him moving and thoughtfully engaged, making for a distracted puppy (who was going to sleep well later) until he caught the wind hinting at his mother's return--and did she bring treasures? Immediately on this realization, he dropped from what he was doing and zeroed in on the gathering that had already begun as the sister's exchanged their greetings. He did not want to miss out on anything, so picked up his pace when needed.

Some of his siblings had reached their mother already and quietly, he joined up on his sister's other side--opposite his brother to further bookend the anticipation they surely beamed her with now. Though, soon after, it was the carcasses that had his attentions, all fixed with an intent stare. Even from here, his nose wiggled curiously about them, their strange musks, and the undertone of blood here too in pursuit of a better understanding--at least until Hydra guided their course to such knowledge, and then some.

She greeted her four with her brand of rough affection, inspecting them with loud sniffs and prodding nudges until her satisfaction with them came with an affectionate nip near an ear or their rear, whichever was nearest to her at the time—she was quite careful with her teeth, not desiring to bring them any undue harm. Hydra withdrew to step behind the things she had brought, their dead, glassy gaze emptily staring skyward.

A fox, Hydra introduced firstly, paw upon the ruddy animal, before pulling her foreleg back and placing her paw now upon the tawny animal: and a coyote. These are predators and pests, and can pose a threat to you, if they have the mind to. Fox are clever beasts, and coyotes are sly; some coyotes are sly enough to befriend wolves. None enough to befriend me, Hydra grinned wickedly then, paw pressing a little firmer upon the animal she did not deign to deal with other than when she must exteriminate them for coming too close. They both will steal from the caches wolves make, if they are not caught first. These two came too close for comfort; with you here, I take no risks. Hydra's ears twitched as her paw moved toward the coyotes face, until she pressed it crudely against its jowls so as to display its sharp teeth. Wolfcubs can be prey for coyotes. And fox do not hunt creatures larger than themselves, mostly, she educated; as for the latter, some could certainly be a threat to her cubs. This one was bigger than most; it had a fruitful Summer, though that was no comfort to it now.

As usual, Hydra did not waste time or mince words once her progeny was assembled; Vega jostled amiably against the shoulders of Atlas and Antares on either side of her as their mother expressed her pleasure at their attention with a few loving nips. She then began to explain the differences between the two animals, and Vega quickly came to the conclusion that they were inferior animals. Presently, they were larger than she -- though the fox, not by much -- but she knew that someday, she would grow, and like her mother she would look down her nose at them with distaste.

She nodded, expressing her understanding of Hydra's teachings. She wanted to move forward, to press her nose against the beasts' fur and sink her teeth into the still-warm flesh, but she hesitated -- she would wait until she was given the go-ahead by the mountain's queen.

He mirrors Hydra's warm liking as best he can. Someday soon he will be able to stand beside her, shoulder to shoulder, and nip her as she does her young. Gosh, he can't wait to be big.

The Alpha begins her pedagogy posthaste, revealing the slain beasts to be none other than a fox and a coyote. Atlas has reaped enough information in skimming their bodies to know that they are other and should not be trusted. Why else would she kill them? Nevertheless, he harkens to her words. His ears remain fixed upon their mentor while his sight never deviates from the carcasses.

He, too, is filled with a desire to tear into them. Notably, after Hydra exposes the coyote's fangs. But alas, business before pleasure.

When will we be old enough to kill them? he pipes up as he looks to Hydra.

Their mother rewarded their attentiveness soon, much as he had come to expect in times like these. Antares was all ears, intent to keep her words close to heart if he would be able, as he set out to be with all of the lessons they were given--on his best days, at least. This one, given the presentation, seemed important, perhaps particularly so. Maybe it was the hint of wolf's blood on the wind that naturally guided this thought into him, but he was quiet, and noticeably transfixed on the slain canines.

As Hydra details their dangers, it is a lot to drink up and he has at his paws much to consider. If they are no friends of his mother, and lowly thieves to their food, then this bloodied end is easy to grasp as their rightful fate. One day, it needed to be his to dole out. He should memorize this, he knew.

Naturally, Atlas asks the important questions. Antares slides him a painfully subtle, knowing look, and his nod is very small but it is there to say he's invested in hearing that answer too. Vega probably agrees, he wonders. They all seem to be poised and ready for anything--so he likes to think. He does wish for his interest in shredding these carcasses to be as subdued as possible.. though it's hard, even on a relatively stoic boy like him.

Hydra is pleased by young Atlas and his inquiry, though she can sense her children each want to know the same thing as he. It does not show, though, and she answers lowly: when you begin to participate in the hunt, we can track them. Harass them. They are fleet of foot; their size lends them swiftness. They used to outrun me, she revealed, but I trained to increase my speed. And I trained my mind to outwit them, with my own mother and father, Hydra's eyes passed over their faces as she finished, though that is a story for another day. The mother leaves no room for argument, paw shifting from jowls to throat. 

On any animal, the throat is the killing place. But the throat is typically the most protected, at first. You should always take care to protect your own, when you fight. Like this, she demonstrated, draping her muzzle protectively over her own elegant neck. She removed her paw from the carcass, and said, now, you do the same. Once they did, she would let them accost these animals as it pleased them.

Her brother asked a question that Vega hadn't realized she wanted the answer to, but as soon as the words were hanging in the air, she shifted her gaze expectantly to her mother. Hydra gave an answer that filled her with a muted excitement; the day would come, soon enough, when they would become hunters like their parents. For now, though, this was another lesson, and Vega was eager to learn.

Hydra spoke of the throat as the weak point, and Vega touched her paw briefly to her own neck before imitating her mother's dropped chin. This would protect her, she knew, even as Hydra explained. She rounded her shoulders slightly, letting instinct guide the shape of her body, and she imagined blocking the teeth of one of her brothers as he came at her.

Dutifully he listens, and senses the magnitude of these lessons to yet come--what may follow, and what else may build upon what they learn here today. Already their mother is foreshadowing them and keeping them well informed of what may to come. These are just the basics still, but it is why she drills such an understanding into them; important foundations. He understood the offense of it. More or less, it said aim here. When defense countered back, he now knew what was of the utmost importance to protect.

When she said so, he mimicked her motion in his own way, shifting his shoulders up and angling his head just right. Even with a new mindfulness of it, he felt the change come then after the next exhale--more guarded, safer, and therefore stronger.

Happy with this, he remembered the feeling, and shifted his stance to try out the rest while keeping eyes and ears on his mother--still eager to soak up whatever else she would share for them before (hopefully!) eventually turning them loose on the carcasses.

Last post from me! LOVE Y'ALL. This can be a fader or you can post once more, whatever you want <3

 

Each of her cubs repeated the movement; Hydra adjusted only where necessary, though did not have much to do there she found. Instinct seemed to guide them, and she was grateful each of them had it within them. Nodding in approval at them, Hydra would teach them more another day. For now, though? She gestured at the carcasses and commanded with a playfully wicked snarl: attack!