Redhawk Caldera Squad goals

It rained much of the morning, tapering away a little after noon. Fox and the pups were in the middle of a post-lunch nap and Peregrine took advantage of the momentary peace and quiet by slithering from the warm, dry den into the weak April sunshine. The world was still wet and glistening around him. He stepped to the closest tree, hiked a leg against it and took a long leak, then licked his lips and began puttering around the general area as he tried to decide what to do.

He could go hunt or catch a patrol. Neither particularly appealed to him at the moment. Peregrine pursed his lips, then licked them thoughtfully. Maybe he would just hang around until his family woke up. Yep, that's decided, he thought, ranging back toward the den and flopping to his hindquarters just outside it, keeping a patient vigil.

He enjoyed nap time with his family, snug in a pile of warm bodies, but upon waking the pup was restless.  He was mobile and therefore wanted to move.

Crawling out of the tangle with little regard for his sleeping siblings, Gannet traipsed towards the den entrance.  He knew he was not encouraged to wander far, but when he looked out, he saw Peregrine sitting nearby and immediately left to say hello.  

Hello in pup fashion meant running in an entirely nonsneaky fashion and pouncing on his dad's tail, little growls escaping as he nosed it and glanced up.  Mighty hunter successful in the takedown!

The Alpha male noticed his palest boy coming toward him, yet pretended he didn't. When Gannet pounced his tail, Peregrine made a sound of surprise and fear, whirling with wide eyes. "Ya' got me!" he crowed, hiking a broad paw to clap it to his chest. He then set it back down on the ground, grinning down at the youngster. "You're a sneaky little ninja," he purled, using that same paw to reach out now and poke his son gently in his much tinier chest.

Peregrine suddenly whirled to snatch something tucked behind a small boulder nearby. It was the leg bone from an elk carcass he had scavenged a few days prior. It had been nibbled clean of most gristle, yet it was still full of marrow. He wiggled his eyebrows at Gannet around his mouthful, then clenched his jaw. A loud snap! echoed in the air before the father set the smaller chunk of the broken bone in front of Gannet. It could be a plaything, a snack or both.

"Just don't poke your eye out or, y'know, anything else. Mind the sharp bits," Peregrine said, pointing at the splinters. He wasn't entirely sure the pup could understand him but that was fine. He intended to monitor him carefully in any case.

Gannet grasped the tail with all the enthusiasm his tiny puppy self could exude, rolling sideways as his father prodded him and grinning delightedly though he couldn't understand a word.  Tone was everything, and his dad's indicated nothing but pleasure.

He didn't abandon his current toy, not until Peregrine went and offered something better.  When he heard bone snapping, he watched curiously.  What was it?  He wanted to explore it, this new thing, and soon got the chance when the smaller was proffered.

The pup didn't understand the warning, but instinct was a powerful guide.  He grasped it with two paws and eyed it before setting to nomming.  When his tiny teeth met the hard bone, his jaw clenched, harder and harder, and he let out a little 'rrrr' of satisfaction.

Gannet took to the bone like a fish to water, earning a rumble of approval from his father. "It's hard to believe," he murmured, carefully monitoring the child as he gnawed on the bone, "that your cute little face will one day grow into a coldblooded killer." As he said those two words, his lips curved into a predatory grin. Of course, he would love to train any one (or all four!) of his newest sons as hunters. That was his calling now, after all: alongside protecting his family formally (and feeding them informally), he was dedicated to mentoring the next generation.

"Lemme know when you're ready for s'more practice," he purled, stretching out on his side with his weight supported upright on his left elbow and his legs stretched out beside him. He curled his tail over his hip, the tip wiggling not far from Gannet's face, wondering if the pup would abandon the bone to go after some "live" prey.

The surface of the bone refused to give before the might of his puny jaws, but not for lack of trying.  He worried it a bit, but his eyes locked on Peregrine as his father spoke.

The words didn't make sense, but there was comfort in listening.  The pup's little tail began to beat again, only to still the instant he saw the other tail move.  Chewing stopped; laser focus.

He didn't want to let go of his current prize, but with puppy selfishness, he wanted the other one too.  So he stood, prancing over and swinging at the tail with both paws.  Likely he'd end up overturned in the dirt, but it didn't stop him from trying.  He kept a dead lock on his bone in the meantime - for now at least.

It turned out that he would do both. Peregrine smirked in amusement as Gannet hung onto the bone even as he sprang for his father's tail. His little black paws batted at it even as his teeth remain clenched around the shard. The Alpha knew better than to look into it too far, yet he knew that puppies learned and developed through play. That Gannet was so clever and tenacious boded well for him. Hell, even the inherent greediness of it was a good sign, as far as Peregrine was concerned.

On that note, he wondered what would happen if he tried to take the toy from the tyke. Would he allow it? Would he cry? Would he fight? Eager to find out, Peregrine continued distracting the youngster with his tail, then when he felt Gannet was particularly focused on it, the Alpha reached down and nabbed the bone right out of the tot's mouth.

He was so focused on his bone that when his dad reached down to snatch the stick, he likely found it an easy grab.  Gannet felt it slide from between his teeth and lost balance, falling over sideways.

Looking up, he saw his father holding his prize and stood again, wiggling and letting out a small yip.  Why?

He was rewarded with a bewildered yip. Although that sound—and Gannet's wide, blue, questioning eyes—sort of twinged his heart strings, Peregrine just wiggled his brows down at the youngster, swinging the bone in the air to tease and lord over him.

After a moment, he lowered his head a little to put the bone within the youngster's reach. "Come'n'get'it," he mumbled around it, the calcified tissue clicking against his teeth.

It was out of reach, but that didn't stop the pup from trying!  He made a few more reaching attempts before sitting back with a thump.  Time to find a new toy?

Not just yet!  Just as he began to lose interest, Peregrine put the bone once more in reach, this time holding on.  Almost without thinking Gannet clamped on as soon as he realized the bone was within reach, clenching his weak little jaws on the prize and giving a gentle tug.  When he met resistance, his mouth almost opened again... but memory of losing it last time stopped him, and instead he let out a questioning 'hfff', tugging again.

The spirited youngster immediately clamped down on the other end of the bone and soon they were engaged in a tug-o'-war match. Peregrine could have won easily, of course, but aside from his brief demonstration of power a moment ago, he had no desire to throw his weight around with the pup. Grinning, he tugged on the bone gently, giving Gannet a run for his money, before suddenly deciding to let go to see if his son would tumble backward.

He went down like a sack of potatoes (ironic!), though if his butt smarted, the pup didn't seem too concerned about it. He was much more interested in his hard-won chew toy. Peregrine's lips twitched into a smile as he watched Gannet totter out of reach. The father left him to it, slumping down to wait for the others to wake up and join them.