Kintla Flatlands born unto trouble

He flung another chunk and this time, Echelon had higher hopes for this toss than the last one. She found it even harder to resist the urge to go after it herself, even shifting in her stance long enough to imply that she had considered it. But like the first one, this one hit the ground with a much heavier plop, and her eyes left the meat swiftly to meet those of her tawny counterpart.

"You're supposed to catch it, not just let it hit the ground," she explained, ears folding back. He was getting the toss down, sure, but was missing the truly fun point of the whole thing. Sighing, she moved in this time to tear her own piece from the carcass, and flung it skyward immediately thereafter. As it spiraled up, her attention rested fully on it like some trained bird dog waiting for the fall of its prey — as it came down she adjusted for it and sprung to meet it before it came too close for the ground. A showy tactic, but one that ultimately demonstrated what it was that she had been doing all along.

"See?" she said, once she had swallowed the quarry.