Redhawk Caldera Little hunters prey

@Lyric

Her babies were 7 weeks old and some odd days. Not quite yet hunters or stalkers. Just learning to babble and run, perhaps speak a few phrases. But that didnt mean she couldn't teach them a little.

In her maw she carried a rabbit it's life just about to leave it's body. Her babies couldn't kill it, but they could think they did.

She dropped it and chuffed seeing Carolina's little eyes peeking out. The rabbit stirred weakly at her paws.

Lyric had taken to speaking quite well, swiftly picking up necessary vocabulary where he could. It was still limited, but enough to, very loudly, communicate his needs and feelings with more than wails, whimpers, or a wagging tail. His pronounciation was rarely perfect, but that was no surprise while he was still learning.

The return of his mother was always exciting, Lyric all too happy to gallop past his sister to greet her with a loud Maum! Not a perfect pronounciation as expected, but his excitement shone through - until he saw the rabbit. Lyric was quick to rear back.

He had seen them before, sure, but they were always dead without a doubt. This was new, and he hadn't decided if he liked that yet.

Amalia bent her head to greet Lyric, but gave a soft little titter as he reared back. Today you can if you want learn to hunt?

She motioned Caroline forward, but the girl was quiet or shy. She wasn't quite sure. Certainly not like Amalia or Alaric, but that was alright. Different strokes for different folks as they say.

But why would he hunt when others did it so well? Lyric had never considered that he would one day have to provide for himself; he was always well cared for by the pack, his wants rarely unanswered.

On the other hand, Lyric was no quitter. His deliberations over, he nodded to his mother.

Amalia liked that her children were well taken care of. That they were happy and healthy and fed. They wanted for nothing. But this did not mean they should not learn. And so she sought to teach.

Okay so what do you smell?

Lifting his head, Lyric assessed the surrounding scents with the slow caution of a fresh hunter. Scent was an important sense, one that most wolves had nearly from birth.. but that didn't mean everyone knew how to put it to good use right away.

You.. and Carolina, and.. the rabbit. That was what came to him right away. There were plenty more lingering in the caldera, enough to overwhelm him if it was thought on for too long.

Amalia watched him closely a small smile on her lips. And she waited it was important he knew what they smelled like to easily find them.

,What does the rabbit smell like? It's important to be able to know to find them beneath the ground.

What did the rabbit smell like? Lyric thought it was a silly question, didn't rabbits just smell like.. rabbit? Nonetheless, he gave the creature a closer inspection.

His mother was right, it did smell like something more. Dirt.. and wet grass. Flowers too. It was quite pleasant, reminding him of early mornings at the mouth of the den.

Amalia thumped her tail.That's right. Now do you see how rabbits look so different. Their back legs are a little bigger and stronger for them to hop and run?

She felt bad for making this creature cling to life in fear. But she needed to teach her children. Even if it felt cruel.

They did have pretty funny looking legs. Why do they need to hop so bad? He asked promptly, his brow furrowing in pure confusion.

There were a lot of strange things about rabbits. The big eyes, the rounded face, and those long ears that could be so nice to chew on. His head leaning forward, Lyric sniffed at the near-carcass. Could he eat it soon?

Her son's patience was wearing thin. She could tell. She smiled. because it's how they were made. They live underground in fields and prairies where it's not so flat. But long yards of land and holes.

She shifted. Im gonna let it go. Get ready to chase it.

She lifted her paw and the rabbit tried to clumsily hop away. But Amalia had done a good job of incapacitating it well enough.

Lyric felt a lurch in his chest when his mother said she was going to let the rabbit go - for some reason, he hadn't expected it to be part of the lesson.

Clumsily pouncing forward, he missed the rabbit despite it's lack of speed and landed flat on his belly. This however, only gave him further motivation to catch it.

Wriggling back to his feet Lyric chased after the rabbit, and quickly found that in it's injured state he could easily catch up. Grabbing the fuzzy creature by the back of the neck with a triumphant growl, he turned to his mother looking quite proud.

He missed at first, but bless him he quickly lighted himself. And continued forward. She smiled.

Good Catch!Shake it hard. He was a wolf. He would know instinctively when it was gone. He'd feel the life give way.

He froze momentarily when his mother told him to shake. Right! The rabbit was still alive!

Shaking his head hard enough that the rest of his body wagged along with it, the rabbit was surely dead now. Lyric dropped it to catch his breath, looking to his mother for the thumbs up. It was surely time to eat now, he had worked so hard!

A soft little chuckle. Good job. Now you feast.

She raised a paw. And bowed her head at him. Eyes dancing merrily at him. So pleased he had done so well.