Sawtooth Spire nyceteris

family only! day five, babies can start using their back legs!

 

The mother slept as sound as she could. The woman perpetually slept with one eye open in case something went amiss–today, for instance. 

There was a strange sound in the den. Tonravik lurched upward, blinking sleep from her eyes. Her cubs were asleep, all bundled together; they fought less, having selected designated spots blindly. All accounted for, she looked in the direction the sound came from; a nearby crevice, where a garter snake slithered toward them. Whether or not it was a threat, she would not risk the chance; the leader rose, hovering over her cubs. When it was close enough, she lurched toward it, fangs gripping its midsection as it sought to escape. The attempt was in vain; her fangs bit clean through it. 

It writhed for a moment longer, and the woman thought it may still be alive; she withdrew a foreleg as its head came near, and she bore down upon that, too. The leader had plenty of experience with snakes, and typically left them well enough alone as they could be more trouble than they were worth. Many were poisonous. She sniffed at this one, bristling... But, she could smell no venom. 

Disgruntled, the leader sniffed now at the corners of the den, leaving the dead body be. The hind of the snake still curled and unfurled, as mere seconds had passed... And then it was motionless. Detecting nothing else, the mother returned to the snake, glancing at her cubs as she moved to gobble it down. The dead attracted other predators, and she knew her mate would dispatch of them... But she took no unnecessary risks.