Redtail Rise Spirit of Tara

The points of her fangs glided harmlessly over ticked gray fur as New Snow yanked the raccoon out of Masque’s reach. The Toweard blinked and straightened as the she-wolf dispatched the feisty critter by snapping her neck. Her body immediately went limp in the wolf’s jaws before dropping to the earth with a dull thud.

The two she-wolves rushed toward one another, inspecting and tending wounds. Masquerade could feel several stinging slashes on her face. There was a shallow bite mark on the bridge of her snout. What smarted worst was a deep scratch right near the corner of her eye. At least they mostly seemed superficial.

After they finished attending their injuries, Masque looked down at the bulk of the deceased raccoon. She had never killed a pregnant creature before. She nosed at the swell of its underside curiously. Some instinct whispered to her about the sweet, tender meat to be found in the raccoon’s belly. But she thought of Avicus and New Snow with plump bellies and found herself unable to open the carcass.

Instead, she took a step back and said, You should eat it, especially if you plan to carry pups soon. Maybe you could use its skin to line your den?