Nova Peak salt the earth

For pups, but anyone welcome

It didn't take Bazi long to go full tiger mom. The pups were no longer hanging off her teats, though she found herself missing the sensation sometimes did press a boob into @Whittier's mouth on occasion - no doubt laying the foundations for serious mommy issues.

It was a lacklustre day at the rendezvous site; perfect weather for hunting. Bazi, now pushing lessons on her children on almost a daily basis, had caught and maimed a mid-sized rabbit. It stumbled around at the foot if the family's little hill, confused and terrified. The mother watched from her perch on a log, waiting to see what the pups would do.

The freedom that had come with the rendezvous site was the most pleasing – and while the adults were always around, they were not always in sight. At ten weeks of age, Allure was becoming more and more outgoing, and today was no different as the she-pup was inspecting a plant that something had peed on earlier. Her face scrunched as she attempted to decipher the smell, but it was the movement from the corner of her sea-green eyes that caught her attention.

Blinking, she swung her muzzle to the rabbit, eyeing it with intrigue. She shifted her weight then, slinking forward as she wanted to go inspect the creature. Feeling herself stiffen as she got closer, her tiny jowls pulled back, allowing her small teeth to glint in the sunlight. Lifting a white-toed paw, the baby made to jab the injured creature, nature not yet coaxing her desire for blood to attempt anything further.

Allure was the first to notice it. Allure II. Bazi had not taken to calling her 'Two', as her own sister had been nicknamed - she had not known the original.

The baby pawed ineffectually at the disoriented rabbit, unable to make the link between this lame creature and the food she was served. It flailed out of reach, wide-eyed and puffing hard. There was a high chance that a heart attack would kill it if Allure didn't figure out how to use her teeth.

"You need to bite it, sweetie," Bazi instructed, flashing her teeth. "In the neck." She stepped off her perch and took a few steps closer, sitting down to watch her daughter's second attempt.

Her ‘playmate’ squealed at the contact, causing the girl to yelp and fall back on her rump in surprise. Had she just made it hurt that much? Wide-eyed, fear knocked at her chest, and it was only soothed by Bazi’s coaxing voice. Her eyes would shift back to her mother, listening to the words and inhaling sharply.

Something clicked then – at the mention of biting. Food. Pushing herself up with hesitance, she approached the wide-eyed creature once more, her eyes falling upon the injury and blood with new understanding. Bazi’s instructions were simple, and with a curiosity, the female Frostfur trembled slightly, her jaws opening as she made to grasp at its neck, pushing down – and yet not hard enough to aid the poor creature from its suffering.

She was perfect. Brave, the right amount of sassy, intelligent - everything that Bazi had once believed herself to be. "Good girl," she complimented, shuffling closer to watch her daughter at work. "A little bit harder now." Milk teeth were unlikely to finish the job, but she wanted Allure to try; when she had done her best and crossed into tantrum territory (a much smaller place in Allure's mind than Whittier's), Bazi would step in to finish the job.

Preened with words, Allure practically glowed at the praise, though it did not cease her frustration as the squeal of the creature only grew louder. Her mother encouraged her to be rougher, and disliking the jerk of the rabbit as it strained against her, Allure tried to push harder, the fur from the creature sticking to her tongue unpleasantly now.

The skin broke and blood seeped in to her jaws – but it was not enough to bring her prey to its demise, and with frustration, Allure gave it a jerk with her muzzle instinctively.

Bazi felt a strong surge of pride. So far, most of what her children had achieved seemed so banal - sitting, pooping without assistance, chewing... but this; this would keep them alive. This was the real deal.

Allure gave the corpse-to-be a rough tug. The rabbit struggled. Bazi could hear it's heart hammering out the final crescendo, beating so fast that it was a wonder it did not turn to liquid in the animal's chest.  Still cooing encouragingly at Allure, the wolf mother stepped forward and squeezed her own muzzle in next to her daughter's. Together, they delivered the final blow - the rabbit went rigid, then limp.

Battering did not seem to do much but make the creature panic slightly more – but one final kick, and Bazi was hovering, and when the mother grasped the flesh as well, Allure felt for the first time what it was to take the life of prey.

It was liberating – to know that this was now food. The rabbit went limp, and Allure’s grip loosened significantly to let the animal drop. Her eyes drifted up at her mother, imploring what to do now – were they to eat it, or were they to share it? Her pelt bristled at the idea of her brothers getting a morsel of her meal – they hadn’t been out here helping.

Bazi could almost see the +1 above her daughter's head as the little girl levelled up, adding The Kill to her growing list of achievements. Without needing to be told, she dropped their shared kill, looking to her mother for further instruction. Bazi gave her daughter an encouraging nod - "It's yours!" - and stepped back from the rabbit, raising a paw to rub at the stains around her mouth. She would give the pup some time to work out how to tear a hole in the animal's gut and pull out the organs.

And so the puppy tore in to her first fresh kill.

Or, attempted to. Tiny teeth began to work away, plucking out fur and casting cross stares at the dead rabbit, as if it was purposely being stubborn. Yet puppy teeth were sharp, and while small, eventually were effective. She was soon rewarded for her efforts, and as she broke in to flesh, Allure began to tear at flesh, chewing contently and casting her mother a rather beaming glance as blood dribbled down her chin and to her paws.

"S'yum," she decided then -- and promptly followed this statement with a burp.

Mommy's precious little murderer. Bazi fought the full beam that threatened to split open the corners of her mouth, and settled to watch her daughter eat. Privately, she was planning Allure's first hunt and solo kill, imagining her pride when the slight girl one day ran point for the pack. "The taste is always a little better when you've done the work yourself. Come on -" Bazi stood. "Let's cache the rest. It's just as important to know how to save food.

Concluding!

Allure sampled her tasty meal and if she could have purred, she likely would have. Licking her lips, the girl made to tear away more flesh when her mother spoke, drawing her bright eyes up. Swallowing, she watched Bazi begin to leave. Her tongue made one more quick sweep against her lips as she attempted to clean off some of the blood, and scooping her prize in her jaws, the girl dutifully loped after her mother, eager to learn the next step.