Silvertip Mountain This is considered a feast these days

@Stoic @Solemn @Odette @Adeline This can be a short thread, if you guys like, or a read-only if no one can take on a new thread. Dice rolled here

Steady had been hunting all day long. Try after try, fail after fail, but eventually he had success twice. He was worn out, and really wanted to sleep, but first he needed to get the hare and the chipmunk to the den where the pups were. He carried the two in his jaws as he trotted up to the den, setting them a few feet from the mouth of it. 

He let out a chuff, announcing himself. Pups? I have food, he said tentatively. He didn't want to wake Zaria unnecessarily if she was in there, but he did want to wake the pups, if they were sleeping at all, so they could eat.

The scent of food flouded her and the pups eyes light up almost instantly.  Without waiting to see her siblings reactions she dashed for the meat, excitedly, tail wagging like mad.  As she noticed that it was the black furred wolf that she really liked, to be the one who had brought the meat she was even happier.  She felt rather at ease with this wolf.  She hoped Stoic would one day learn to be as at ease with him as she was, so she wouldn't have to growl at him.  Well... now that she thought about it, it had been kind of fun to growl at Stoic, no offense to him, but it felt good to have at least a little show that she could do whatever she wanted.  Hmm... maybe she could growl at others more often.  She quickly decided against it.  It would be to nerve racking and who knew what kind of outcomes that would bring.  For now she decided only her siblings would get her growl of doom.  Noticing that she had momentarily forgotten about the food, Odie snapped back into focus and finished making her way over there at a walk.

"Taunk you!"  The pup squealed in delight, glad that he had found something, insteady of like last time when he came to her empty pawed.  All in all though, Odette was just really happy to see the black furred wolf who had a special reserved place in her heart.  She eyed the two pieces of prey for a moment.  The chipmunk looked delicous and so did the hare.  She paused for a moment exaiming the two, decided, thinking.  Finally after a little thought she happily made her way up to the hare and took a few bites.  Instant relief filled her eyes.  It was delicous... not what it probably could have once been, but still delicous enough for her.

Odette was quick to come out and eye both offerings. She didn't forget her manners however, thanking him before choosing the hare and digging in. He smiled softly, You're welcome.  He laid down, settling in as his gaze roamed over the immediate area before returning to the pup who filled her belly. 

His brother invaded his thoughts, then. Steady often wondered how life would be if Fitz was still here. Easier? The same but with no mourning? What would Fitz do in this time of famine? Sometimes, it almost didn't feel like they were a pack anymore. Just a group of wolves who lived on the same mountain, all working towards feeding the same pups. He sighed, trying to let those thoughts go, turning his attention back towards his reason for living. His gaze settled on Odette, a soft smile pulling at his lips.

Odette ate about half of that hare, fiestly gnawing on it and chewing it up, mostly filling up her belly.  Then the pup took a step back, knowing that she should let @Stoic, @Solemn and @Adeline eat to.  So Odie would stop eating for now, so that there would still be enough to mostly fill her siblings bellies too and of course Uncle Steady's.

Odette went into deep thought for a few moments, thinking of how to tell Uncle Steady that he should eat too.  Finally though, she spoke.  "Ou oud eat too, Ooncle Steedy."  She advised him, with a glance at the two pieces of prey that Steady had caught.  Then glanced up at her Uncle Steady with round, hopeful eyes, hoping that he would follow her lead and accept her offer.

Zaria cameo you can totally skip me if you want!

Zaria came back empty handed once more. She almost did not want to return to her young because she would hate to feel the fact that she had failed again. This time of the year sucked! However she did return eventually to see Steady feeding her young. Zaria nudged him in greeting and then slumped down. "Yes, you eat too," she spoke, and uncharacteristically didn't claim any of the meat. She had grown very skinny. The female knew that she wanted to be with Fitz and as soon as these pups could be without her she might be tempted to actually go and leave them. She closed her eyes as she laid down by the den site.

Odette, being ever thoughtful of others, instructed Steady to eat, too. He was about to politely decline when Zaria arrived, telling him he should eat. Steady smiled to Odette, taking the half-eaten rabbit and tearing off a hind leg for himself, placing it between his paws. Picking up the rest in his jaws, he tossed it to Zaria, maybe hoping a little that she would be caught off guard by the flying hare. A grin appeared on his features. He thought he was funny. 

Mommy eats, too, right Odette? he said, though his eyes were on Zaria. He knew she was losing weight, just like the rest of them. He turned his attention to the leg and began to gnaw on it, swallowing the meat in chunks.

Odette was delighted when her Mother came up to her Uncle Steady and agreed with her.  She then watched as her Uncle tore off a hind leg for himself, and then picked up the rest and appeare to playfully toss it at her Mother.  Odetee laughted a little, with a smile.  Her Uncle Steady was so funny.

Odie then gave a nod as Uncle Steady asked her if her Mother should eat too.  "Yaaas, Mommy eat too."  She said sternly, agreeing with her Uncle.  Then turned exceptantly towards her Mother, waiting for her to hopefully eat the meat that Steady had thrown at her.

Zaria's reactions were too slow because of the lack of food and it landed on her head. The female shot close to a murders glare at Steady, baring her teeth a bit. She was not the one to be pranked on. Zaria was most definitely not in a playful mood at all. The woman grabbed the carcass and placed it by her daughter.

Zaria watched her child smile, it did her well to see a happy child like Odette being happy with this natural disaster going on. She was definitely more like Fitz than like her. Probably why Zaria could not dare to take any meat from her. "Mommy is big already. You take it so you have a full belly," she spoke.

While Odette thought his actions were funny, Zaria looked like she could kill him just by sheer will. Steady wasn't so sure she couldn't. He lowered his head apologetically. He thought the light humor would lighten her mood, but he was wrong. He was just glad Zaria had chosen not to physically reprimand him. 

He turned his attention back to his niece, hoping she would continue to eat. In an effort to get back on Zaria's good side, and knowing Odette would need to anyways, he agreed with her mother. Yeah, I'm full, too. You can have the rest, he said, smiling at her. He hoped the rest of the litter would come out and eat, too, but they must have been resting. The other carcass could be saved for them for later.

Odette was disappointed that Uncle Steady and her Mother didn't take the meat and then both said that she should finish it.  Odette just shook her head in response.  If they weren't going to finish off this meat, she wouldn't either... unless they asked one more time because she already felt rather nervous to be disobeying what she had been told.  "If you aren gonna eat den I naw eter."  Odie stated in a hushed voice.

Just then a thoguht came to her, a realization.  If she didn't eat the meat, who would?  She stood still for a moment in deep thought.  Her Mother and Uncle Steady claimed that they were full, yet her siblings would probably like this.  "Addy, Soic and Sowem ould hav et."  Odette told them witha small smile, glad to have an answer for why she didn't want to eat anymore, than just seeming ignorant for deciding not to eat.

Zaria looked at her daughter probably protesting for the first time. She looked a bit surprised but then smiled a bit. She truly was Fitz daughter, he would have shared. She looked at Steady for a moment if he noticed too. The alpha female started to notice that Adeline was less like her father and more like her. Very curious indeed.

Zaria nodded in approval. "Why don't you bring it in the den so they can eat it," she offered, letting Odette have a little task. She seemed to like helping out after all.

Steady could not hold back the grin he gave Zaria at Odette's refusal to eat. Like Mother, like daughter, he said teasingly. In all reality, Odette would benefit from gaining some of her mother's traits. However, he didn't think not eating should be one of them. 

Rising, he made his parting pleasantries, promising to return soon, and headed off to find more food.

Odette watched her Uncle leave, after saying some phrase about her and her Mother being alike.  Then She turned to face the piece of prey and began to drag it towards the den, so that her siblings could eat some, all the while showing off the smallest happy smile as she laid it on the den floor.

Now the fluffy Odette would just wait for someone to eat the leftovers of the meat and then once that was done, she would drift off into the comforting depths of sleep... for once with a fuller stomach, rather than the usual grip of hunger tight like a rope around her stomach.

Zaria let out a huff because she thought Odette was the least like her. Maybe that was why she loved her daughter so much because she was like Fitz. Zaria nodded goodbye to Zaria and then followed Odette inside the den. Glad to see her smiling at least. Hopefully the others would eat some of it, they better because in this time the food was very scarce.

- end -