Moonspear First thing a girl did was a bop

Mira had become comfortable with hanging just outside the den. She did not wander; she had little interest in the world beyond. Her eye had cleared up after time, and she had already forgotten the sting of infection, though it had strengthened her in a way she was unaware of. Clear vision helped her to find plenty of exciting things to play with. For one, her siblings, whom she enjoyed attempting to dominate. For two, there was this. A little field mouse that scurried past the serpent.

The child was young, still too young to eat meat, even- perhaps the mouse would've made a safe decision in any other circumstance. But Mira was not like other pups. She delighted to find a new living thing here, delighted in pouncing onto it and keeping the wiggling thing under her paws. Delighted in the way in which it struggled as a playful smile grew on her maw, and she batted it back and forth like a ball, unaware of how to kill it and still enjoying this nevertheless.

Some day, instinct would set in where these tender moments had with other wildlife would be tender no more. Hydra watched with a critical eye, knowing that these days of softness would come to an end. She would prefer to see it happen sooner rather than later; that was why when another critter scurried past, presumably thinking it might survive for Hydra's disinterest in Mira's own latest prey, Hydra was quick to suddenly erupt from where she lay to snare it in her jaws. 

It took a moment to capture, but once she did she brought it to near to her daughter and placed one broad paw over it to keep it still. Her weight was sufficient enough to do the trick. When nothing else can be found, she drawled, looking to Mira, small prey is something we must rely upon. Like your mouse, she gestured toward the thing Mira held captive, or this chipmunk. A little scree was heard as Hydra's paw lifted; beady black eyes looked plaintitively around it, as though there might be something to come and save it. 

Hydra was merciful and answered its cry, albeit not in the way it would have desired. The end of it was quick and painless in how proficient Hydra was at it, so swift that it had not even had the time to blink twice before it passed. And then Hydra began to eat it, though offered a morsel of it for Mira to sample herself. Soon enough, her children would be fully weaned; more and more, Hydra would offer them such fare.

Mother came then, momentarily distracting Mira as she gathered something between her jaws and held it nearby under paw. The girl instinctively clung to her own prize, heavy force of two paws keeping it in a dark prison as it struggled. All the while her ears were perked towards the queen as she spoke, silently listening on, icy blues hovering on the tiny creature. Snap. Her mother was quick to silence to squealing thing, and Mira appreciated the quiet.

Though Hydra began to eat, Mira hesitantly lifted a paw and swung her jaws down to imitate. Her teeth, not fully developed yet, scraped down the creature's back- but she was too slow and inexperienced, and ultimately it managed to scurry away in spite of its wound. All the girl recieved was delicious blood, and she huffed a breath of frustration, though licked the crimson hungrily from her lips. Annoyed at her failure to achieve what Hydra had, she gazed down at the morsel of chipmunk and imagined it was her mouse, devouring it eagerly.

Hydra watched as the mouse her daughter had scurried away, noting Mira had not given chase. Each of her children taught her something new; Hydra understood, now, that the instinct to hunt had not yet set in within her children. Her own desire to chase was minimal at best if not because of her kill than because she understood that it was not, presently, worth the chase. The food had returned and the hunting had been good; these cubs would not know hunger either, if she had her own way. 

In answer to her daughters attempt to kill, she revealed her teeth for a moment in a way not at all threatening. Sheathing the weapons, Hydra drawled, some day you will have teeth such as mine, and the power to kill. She did not imagine Mira's jaw pressure could do much. She nosed what was left toward her daughter to chew upon. If nothing else, it would be good for her teething.

As Hydra revealed her fangs, so did Mira, raising black lips in an imitation of her mother and imagining she might look at threatening as she. When Hydra spoke, Mira listened, murmuring her first word quietly under her breath, keeel. Of what remained, Mira took between her jaws, chewing absent-mindedly on one end like it was gum, mangling the body further from anything recognizable.

Her ears pricked as her daughters first word was spoken. 

Kill. 

While Dirge might not have enjoyed it, Hydra grinned. Kill, she answered, eyes aglow. She would ensure her daughter was good at doing just that in defense of herself, her family, and her home. To see her teeth was an additional pleasure, and Hydra's tail beat against the earth. While her daughter chewed, Hydra plucked a remnant piece of its skin and dangled it temptingly from her mouth looking away. Though her daughter did not have the instinct to hunt quite yet, perhaps she could lure her into learning the art of it through play.

Mother repeated the word after her, and Mira grinned, feeling very proud of herself. Tail wagged, encouraging Mira onward, and she paused her chewing, baring her little fangs again like it was a talent show act. Temporarily focused on impressing her mother, blue eyes gazed on as a piece of skin was plucked to hang dangling from her jaws. Mira licked her chops. The black snake slithered forward, skittering, leaping in the air, standing for moments on her hind legs when she had to, working to try and steal the toy away however she could. All the while, baby fangs snapped at thin air.

Mira reacted, and Hydra was all the more pleased for it. The matriarch rumbled gently to further incite her daughter, keeping the skin out of reach for some time before eventually she moved in such a way that permitted her daughter to grab it. With a grin, Hydra tugged gently to prompt a game of tug-of-war. The skin was pliant enough where even Mira would be able to rip it with little effort at this point.

For some time she chased the toy, until she felt flesh in her mouth, and her jaws snapped shut to hold on tightly. Mira tugged and tugged with her mother (who really did not need to exert any effort at all,) until something gave and she fell backward onto her spine, skin coming with her. The snake found her feet, triumphant and stubby tail wagging, only to look back and see Mother still had a piece of skin. Momentarily she was perplexed, until she spat out her skin on the ground, finding it had ripped into a smaller piece.

Her daughters efforts pleased her; Hydra marveled at the strength she already had. Thought on how it would only ever grow, should she cultivate it... and cultivate it she would. Hydra rose to all fours with the remaining skin and trotted off with a growl, encouraging her daughter to come give chase; perhaps one of the other cubs might be roused to compete, and if so, Hydra would welcome it.

As Hydra stood and trotted off, Mira was eager to follow- finding that, in the times she spoke little more than she needed to, she could be quite a joy to be with. The little snake wished to learn all she could of what they had touched on today.