Blacktail Deer Plateau With Baited Breath I scream for joy

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There was the tightening around his body, the rippling of great muscles that grasped the child and propelled him ever downward, ever outward. He opened his mouth to protest, but was suddenly struck with cold — it was unwelcome.

He screamed.

The child cried out at the displacement as his mother's tongue washed over him, removing the flotsam of birth; he was not as loud as his dark brother or pale sister, but a primal strength took hold of him all the same, and he gave a small sound akin to a growl as he was tucked alongside the nearest teat, nestled near two other gasping, ravenous bodies.

Warmth surrounded him, filled him; he was adrift in the sensation of safety, though as he slipped into slumber, small clicks and whines emanated from his maw.