Noctisardor Bypass it might be the chasing dynamic

Druid rushed at the hawk, well aware she probably couldn’t—probably shouldn’t, for that matter—try to catch it. It took to the air with an earsplitting scream, its wings audibly beating. Her mismatched eyes quickly cut to the ground, eager to thieve its catch.

She’d hoped for a fish or some sort of small game. Druid supposed a vole counted, though she scoffed as she watched the poor thing—still alive, one of its hind legs mangled—scuttle about in the earth. She moved to put it out of its misery with a sound whack of her paw when another idea struck her.

Careful not to harm the critter further, she pinched its fur in her teeth. It screamed and squirmed as Druid carried it toward the den. Either her kids would get some hunting practice or one of them would score a familiar today. Druid wasn’t particular, she just didn’t want the opportunity to go waste.

The Den Mother stopped about twenty yards from the den’s entrance. She lowered her head, pinning the vole with a paw and freeing up her mouth. She called for @Kikimora, @Goldfinch, @Artio and @Averie even as the rodent shrilled its terror. Druid shushed it by rote, then laughed at herself.

She'd been lounging within the cool shade of the den, having outdone herself earlier in the day with her exploration of the world beyond it. Kikimora, despite growing fast, was still very clearly the runt of the litter. She remained small and scrawny in comparison to her siblings and her body tired quickly, so she dozed often.

The call of a caregiver drew her from slumber with a start, and the cub sat up to blink sleepily toward sunlight that beamed through the threshold of her family's hollow. It was a summons, and there was a strange high-pitched noise that piqued her interest.

Kikimora stepped outside, wide eyes fixed to the tiny shrieking creature she'd brought for the pups to see.

Her smallest daughter’s face popped out of the den. Druid didn’t have to force the smile as she encouraged the runt closer with a wave of her bad leg (which only hurt a little now). Seeing Kikimora reminded her that she probably ought to invite @Ezra and @Gideon too. She woofed to make sure the younger boys knew they were of course welcome too.

Refocusing on the little black Butternut, Druid coaxed, Come here and take a look at what I brought you guys.

She blinked down at the little vole, ears swivelling and muzzle casting as she tried to figure out why it shrieked the way it did. Kikimora wiggled her little nose and padded forward as her mother beckoned the other cubs that might remain in the den. Being so small, the bigger pups were not always so gentle with her. Kikimora wanted to better see what the Den Mother had brought for them before her siblings shoved their way forward.

She hovered over the tiny mammal that squirmed, trapped beneath Druid's dark paw. Kikimora leaned over it to investigate, curious but wary, and stepped back with uncertainty as her looming shadow made the creature unleash another terrified cry.

Druid watched the sunlight dapple the little girl’s coat as she came closer. Kikimora was the smallest member of her brood but the one with the prettiest markings. Maybe thinking that made her a bad mother, though Druid had thought much worse things about her own children, so she gave herself a pass. Besides, she would never say it out loud.

Kiki, she acknowledged when the pup reached her, a growing fondness in her eyes and expression.

Druid waved her tail, then shifted her paw slightly to give the Butternut a better look at the vole. It squeaked and struggled. She felt a little bad for torturing it, though either she’d saved its life or it was about to be put out of its misery soon.

Friend? she said to her daughter. Or food?

She let that query hang in the air for a beat before releasing the vole.

"Kiki," the Den Mother said, but the babe's focus on the vole never wavered. Her ears remained forward, her eyes wide, her scruffy black tail straight behind her; something unknown thrummed to life within her. Kikimora did not understand the sudden want to hold this tiny creature between her jaws and shake her head. Her pitiful little body began to tremble with... anticipation? 

The adult released her hold and the vole made to scurry off as fast as it's three legs would allow. The cub loped after it, still clumsy on her feet, and loudly barked her frustration that she had not immediately caught up.

The quivering pup immediately sprang after the rodent. Druid knew it would’ve easily evaded the clumsy youngster with all fours legs intact. But Kikimora had a solid chance of capturing it in its wounded state, she felt.

Get it, Kiki! she called out encouragingly, still not certain just what her daughter planned to do with it should she succeed.

She came so very close, the Den Mother's encouragement urging her onward. Kikimora pushed forward, emitting a determined little growl as she attempted to pounce and capture the tiny wounded creature beneath her forepaws.

The girl did not catch her prey but instead fell onto it, trapping it beneath her weight. She scraped her chin and pulled herself up onto her elbows to wail about it, forgetting the vole trapped under her chest.

She possessed the same instincts as any she-wolf when it came to her offspring—a lucky thing, considering—but Druid wasn’t exactly maternal. When Kikimora sprang at the vole only to fall hard and scuff her chin in the dirt, the first thing Druid wondered was, Wait, where did it go?

The little girl’s cries pierced the air, drawing Druid’s attention where it belonged. Still, she did not rush to Kiki’s side, nor coddle her. She did walk toward her, admittedly still keeping an eye out for the vole. Seriously, where was it?

You’re fine, Kiki, she assured in a calm voice. I think you might have caught it, she added in a slightly more excited pitch. Can you feel it underneath you?

No one came immediately, and her crying continued until the Den Mother finally arrived to her aid. Kikimora blinked up at her, denim eyes filled with tears, and she lifted her chin to be examined. @Heda would tend to her ouchies with care and affection, but Druid failed to even acknowledge the scrape beneath her jaw. 

She sniffed back snot, disappointed that a hug was not provided when she so desperately wanted one.

Her dam tried to distract her by directing attention back to the whereabouts of her prey, and after another few moments of glassy eyes and a quivering lip, she pulled herself upright. Kikimora saw the movement of the vole on the ground and felt her instinctual need to grab it reignite. The girl reached for it, finally gathering it firmly between milk teeth and giving her head a shake.

Kikimora did not look very reassured. Druid smiled patiently, preparing to reach out and chuck the girl’s chin to show her she was fine—and that she should keep her chin up! But before she could quite make contact, the little girl heeded her mother’s words, sniffing back her tears and perhaps channeling her emotions into attacking the vole.

Food it is, the Den Mother said approvingly, her tail sweeping the air. I think, she added with a glimmer in her two-toned eyes, still giving Kiki every opportunity to do whatever she felt compelled to do with the unfortunate rodent.

The shakes of her head were dizzying and Kikimora stumbled, seeing stars as her hindquarters gave way. Her rear end slumped down to the ground and she gave a funny little growl, the vole dropping from her slackened jaw to drop to the earth with a soft thud.

She blinked, disorientated, though was quick to collect herself. Kikimora stared down at the small creature, its hide punctured and bloodied by her jagged fangs. Its tiny limbs twitched and its mouth moved strangely in its desperate gasps for air. She'd hurt it! Druid's words were lost to her as her gut gave an uncomfortable twist and guilt made her heart plummet.

What had she done? She'd wanted to hurt it yet seeing the damage she'd done laying right in front of her made her feel a whole myriad of confusing things.

Kikimora sucked in a breath, fighting the urge to cry again.

She watched, fascinated, as her tiny daughter heeded her instincts and shook the life out of the vole—well, most of it. It fell from her mouth, barely alive. Druid looked at Kiki’s reaction, saw the bewilderment on her face, and swiftly stepped in to put the critter out of its misery.

After gently crunching the rodent’s skull in her mouth, she stepped back and looked at the Butternut’s face again. She looked as though she might cry. Druid wondered at this. Had the vole bitten her during its struggles, perhaps? Or was she confused about her own actions? Maybe she thought she’d done something wrong? She was very young.

It’s alright, Kiki, Druid assured, still speaking in that calm, no-nonsense voice. In time, you will learn to make cleaner, swifter kills, so that the prey won’t suffer. I’ll teach you.

Unsure whether her words might make things better or worse, she bent to push her nose against Kikimora’s cheek before her snout skimmed up to give her a quick, reassuring nuzzle to the top of her head.

Her lower lip trembled as she stared down at the limp, pitiful little body of the squished, bloodied vole. Kikimora struggled to understand it all: why she'd wanted to hurt it, why she hadn't thought to stop herself. Her gaze grew glassy and she bit back the tears.

She was just a little thing with huge feelings.

Kikimora scrunched her nose, ears splaying at the awful sound of Druid crushing delicate bone between teeth. When she withdrew, she saw that the tiny rodent no longer gasped and twitched. Kikimora had never seen a dead thing. Part of her wanted to investigate but more than anything, she wanted to remove herself from the situation entirely.

Her mother explained that she would do better in future - that there was training to be had. Kikimora blinked up with her watery gaze into the Den Mother's face, sad but trusting.

She looked into her daughter’s eyes and saw melancholy there. Druid glanced between her small face and the dead vole, then back again. Her own expression was contemplative.

If you don’t want to eat it, that’s fine. We’ll put it in a cache for someone else, so the vole won’t have died for nothing. Do you want to carry it, while I show you the way?

She absolutely did not want to eat this poor, tiny creature. Her mother said it was okay if she did not, and Kikimora sniffled, because it didn't feel okay. She suggested they put it somewhere else, a place where another could make use of its body, and that didn't really make her feel any better.

Kikimora blinked down at the vole, at its lifeless body and misshapen head. Her stomach churned; she swallowed back the nausea, then gently gathered the small creature between her teeth.

Her eyes streamed but she blinked up at the Den Mother again, eager to hurry this along so she could forget all about the terrible part she'd played.

She’s just young, Druid had to remind herself when she saw the tears tracking down Kikimora’s cheeks. Part of her wanted to comfort the pup, of course, but she was truly perplexed by this display. It didn’t bode well for her future as a huntress, did it?

You’ll understand all of this a little better when you’re older, she said, gently nudging the girl before moving toward the nearest stockpile.

After making the deposit, Druid guided her smallest daughter back toward the den site. Just before she coaxed her to go find her brothers and sisters to play, she rested a paw gently atop the child’s head. She then smoothed it over her ears, down the back of her neck to her petite little shoulders. Druid gave them a little pat before gently pushing Kiki in the direction of the den.