Stone Circle How to get away with murder

Valette went to find her daughter, though most of her mind wasn't really focussed on hunting she wanted to be useful to the pack instead of being around Stark all the time. Her heat had started two days ago and had been keeping as much to herself and Stark as possible. She did want to check on Steph though. She knew her daughter liked to hunt just as much as she did and she hoped that they maybe could do something together.

Valette knew some of the fawns were already born, there was one weak one and Valette wanted to grab it for Steph so she could practice where to bite and how to kill the fawn swiftly. She felt that it would be a good practice for her daughter. She went to find @Steph. Curious what her daughter was up to today.

Ooc| just a cameo!

Stark wasn't too keen on leaving Valette alone for long. She was fully capable of course but the drive in him to cover her time and time again made him keep a close eye on her. He was sitting not too far from Valette, a few yards away, ears swiveling to listen carefully for any approaching pack wolves  He would have no problems dispatching any males that got too close. 

Steph had been out an about over the past week, since her collar had disappeared. Anyone would be hard pressed to find her in any one place for very long. But, as it happened, Steph was looking for Valette, too. She hadn't seen her mom in a couple of days, and that was her own fault, really. But, now that she had let off some energy, she wanted to visit.

When her mom came into view, Steph chuffed to get her attention. She smiled and wagged her tail in a friendly greeting, and nosed Valette's cheek. Unable not to show it off, Steph craned her neck to show Valette. It's gone!! she exclaimed happily. Hey gaze glanced to Stark and gave him a smile before looking back to Valette. That's when she noticed the change in smell. Is that smell... She trailed off, figuring her mom would understand what she was asking.

Valette's ear twitched when she heard someone behind her. Though she didn't need to glance to the side to see who it was. Ever since Birk challenged Stark for breeding rights Stark had been more on edge. She couldn't blame him even though Valette had no interest in letting any of the other males breed her. Valette didn't mind the shadow at all, in fact, she thought it was rather sexy he cared so much.

Luckily Steph soon distracted her before Valette would change her mind and would go an bother Stark. Valette greeted her daughter in return and instantly noticed that there wasn't a collar. "It is gone! How did you get it off!?," she let out in surprise. Then Steph asked the question if it was the scent. Valette instantly nodded. "Yes," she let out sounding perhaps too excited. "Maybe you will be a big sister soon," she grinned. "Though, we will see. I do not know for sure until a month from now," she spoke more seriously.

Her mom was just as excited as she was to see that the thing was gone. I don't know! Those loud, big birds came back, I passed out again, just like the first time, and when I woke up, it was gone! It was all very weird to her, but she was just glad to have the thing gone. 

She hummed a bit when her mother confirmed what the smell was. That's interesting, she commented. It was strong, but Steph didn't find it offensive. Stark must have not hated it, either, since he seemed stuck like glue to Valette. She smiled when her mom said she might be a big sister sonn. So Stark did want babies? she asked. Last her and Valette had spoken, she didn't know if the male had wanted pups.

Valette let out a relieved sigh when Steph said that she lost her collar because of those flying big birds. She hoped they would never return. "Let's make sure they won't make you sleep again," Valette spoke. She shivered lightly. She didn't want Steph to sleep forever. Valette nodded when Steph said that her heat was interesting. Then the mother giggled softly and nodded eagerly. "Yes!," she let out in eager hushed whispers.

Valette didn't want to go into too much detail though. She cleared her throat and then smiled. "But the reason I called you was that I wanted to do some hunting. Some newborn fawns are born and I was thinking you should show me your knowledge on how to kill them. I thought it would make a nice lesson!," she spoke.

She nodded to Valette's sentiment. She never wanted to see those birds again. While they seemed to have something to do with removing her collar, they also seemed to have something to do with it being there in the first place. She was happy to hear that her mother and Stark were on the same page where pups were concerned. That would make it more likely they would have them, wouldn't it?

Her eyes grew a bit with happy surprise that her mother wanted to teach her how to hunt. That sounds fun! she replied happily. Where are they? she asked, figuring Valette would have an idea of where to find them.

Valette smiled. "Well that is the fun thing. For some reason, a doe often leaves their calf for a day to then return to pick them up. I believe some are hidden in the field, being very quiet," she explained to Steph. "I'd seen a few, so we don't need to track them. Follow me." Valette started to walk in the direction of the open fields. She had noticed them lying around but wanted Steph to hunt one.

It only took a short walk. "Okay, in front of us is one. I'd like you to retrieve it for me. So stalk it, then jump it. Chase if need to. I will be following and watching how you kill. Remember what the weak spots were of deer?"

She listened carefully as Valette explained that doe often left their babies throughout the day. How convenient for the wolves! She turned to follow her mom, but not before glancing at @Stark, and wondered if he was going to follow. He seemed glued to Valette, and she gave him a knowing grin before turning and catching up with Valette's retreating form. 

She paused alongside Valette, her eyes scanning to spot the baby deer, with one ear turned towards her instructor. The neck and underbelly? she said in question-form. When the talking was over, Steph crouched and started forward slowly. Her paws were planted purposely as she stalked the fawn, doing her best not to make any noise. She saw the movement when the fawn twitched at ear. It wasn't a big movement, but it gave it away. She went stil for a moment, and then darted towards her intended target. 

She got pretty close before the fawn decided to make a run for it. Steph reached out with her front leg, swiping at the back leg of the fawn to trip it up. It worked, but not enough for the fawn to go down. It regained its balance and zig zagged away from the predator. Steph growled and picked up her speed. She hadn't realized fawns could be so agile. Still, she matched the prey, turn for turn. She started to track which way it went, and found the pattern. So, when it made its next turn, Steph was ready for it. She tripped it up again, this time using her claws to help keep some form of a grip. Her body followed as she lunged on the fawn, her open jaws going for the back of the neck to stop it from running away again.

When she was confident she caught it, she used her weight to hold it in place as her jaws found the underside of its neck, and she sunk her teeth into its flesh. Blood seeped from the punctures, and the fawn kicked and protested loudly. Steph hung on, and after a few minutes, the fawn hung limp in her jaws. Her sides heaved from the hunt, and she dropped the body in favor of getting more air. She looked to Valette with a bloody smile, hoping she was pleased with how she had taken it down.

Valette nodded when Steph replied. The mother was pretty confident that her child knew how to kill a fawn but still. It was good practice for her to hunt one now. Valette followed Steph from a distance. She wasn't going to give any hints or help her. It seemed her daughter was doing just fine. She did have a bit of a hiccup with following the fawn but Valette watched proudly as Steph tackled it and took the baby animal down.

"Very good!," Valette spoke with a grin after Steph killed the fawn. Valette sniffed over it to check if it was really dead, and it was. "If you keep this up you will be a skilled hunter, Steph!," she praised.

Her tail wagged and her expression brightened when Valette praised her on the hunt. You think I'll be as good as you? she asked. Valette was the main wolf she looked up to, and what she did, Steph wanted to do, too. It almost got away at that one turn, she commented, knowing she had almost lost the kill. The end mattered most, but if she wanted to be better, she knew she needed to hone her skills. 

She really wanted more experience with larger prey, but she would follow her Mom's instructions and stick to what she thought was best. She would not make the mistake of going after something bigger than her, and alone at that. The bison incident would not soon be forgotten. You want to share it with me? she asked Valette. Obviously the fawn couldn't go to waste. The best part about hunting was the eating, after all!

Valette instantly nodded. "Of course!," Valette spoke full of confidence. "Just practice a lot. I can help you if you want to practice. You don't always have to kill we can also chase and learn how to steer a herd," she spoke with a smile. "Yeah. I saw. But you were determined and confident. If you had hesitated it would have gotten away. So that makes you a good hunter," she explained.

Valette looked at the fresh kill and nodded. "Yes, please. Soon I hope to be eating for not only myself," she grinned. "Then you can practice all the hunting you like, help Stark with hunting big game for me when I am too fat to run," Valette chuckled. She hoped at least she would be too fat to run, it meant babies.

She listened to the suggestion of her Mom, and found herself agreeing with her. That's a good idea, she responded. She could chase the prey, even without the intent of killing it to get experience. She would try that out and see how it went. She was glad of the criticism Valette gave her, knowing that if she listened to it, it would make her better in the end.

She shifted so that Mom could have access to the upper half of the fawn, and Steph dug into the rump, ripping muscle from bone. She chewed quickly, and then swallowed. How many puppies do you think you'll have? Maybe there wasn't a way to know. But, maybe Valette and Stark had an idea of how many they wanted.

Valette took a bite of the meal and thought about Steph question. There was no way of knowing how many children she would get or if she would get any children at all. "Well, I don't know," she admitted. "I am not even sure if I will get pups from this. I hope so. I am healthy and living conditions are good."

Val took another bite and swallowed it. "I am not picky about numbers. I would even be happy with one. As long as they are healthy and able to live well. I liked the number of you and your siblings," she chuckled. "Or I don't know, maybe I will get six this time! Though I think that would be rather tiring," she admitted with a smile. "I will know for use in four weeks."

It seemed her Mom was still unsure on whether she and Stark would produce babies, but Steph was all optimistic. Enough for the three of them. Have you thought of names yet? she asked. Did parents think ahead of time, or did they name the puppies after they were born?

Her eyes widened as Valette said they might get six. Six is a lot, she commented. They'd need all hands on deck to coral that many puppies. Four weeks felt like forever. She chomped down on another piece of meat, tearing it off the carcass of the fawn. Between the two of them, it was just about gone. Everyone would be running around like chickens with their heads cut off, trying to count puppies, but every time they're missing on because as soon as they get the last one that ran off, another has run off, she said, laughing. She could picture the circus that it would be.

Valette shook her head in answer to her daughter. The female hadn't thought of names yet, mostly because she knew some could be stillborn and she didn't know their gender. "I will wait till they are born. Usually names come to me. Though, I might name one of the pups after Keoni, to honor her," she spoke. That sounds like a good plan.

Valette laughed when Steph also found that six was a lot. Valette didn't want six either but it could be possible. Valette laughed harder at Steph paining a mental picture of what that would look like. "Could you imagine Stark's face when I present six pups to him? That would be hilarious." She chuckled at the thought. "I liked having three, maybe four," she admitted.