Redhawk Caldera the shadows under the world

The children were growing like weeds. It had been a month since their birth at least, with Reyes doing his best to bring fresh food as frequently as possible. Sometimes he would be left in the den to watch over the little ones while @Towhee ventured out for a breather; oftentimes @Ruenna was there with him too, or @Fennec would drop by. Today he was alone with them — entirely, utterly, completely singular while surrounded on all sides.

At the moment things were quiet, as the children were down for a nap. The slightest miscalculation was bound to wake them though — and Reyes was trying to extricate himself from the puppy pile, as the trio had mobbed him on sight and turned him in to an unwilling pillow.

Thankfully there were toys scattered among the hides upon the ground. A discarded femur was one of @Tierra's favorites, as she could play tug-o-war with @Sphyra. A visit from another day had awarded half a tine-laden set of antlers, a swatch of beaver tail, and the more delicate wing of some bird that was falling to pieces by now. @Caracal had decimated the wing pretty quickly; the larger bones of the wing had been chewed on and the feathers plucked, leaving little to nothing behind.

Tediously and with purpose, Reyes slid a leg, a wrist, a shoulder, out from beneath the tangle of bodies. He carefully plucked Caracal at the nape with his teeth and placed him down slowly, with the intense feeling of impending doom should he be too rough, too fast, or too loud in the process. It was a little like diffusing a bomb.