Sun Mote Copse Work out Your Own Salvation

@Anatha @Elohim

The blizzard had shut them away again, forcing Asherah deep into the den with her young. The entrance had slowly piled over with snow, but she did not fear. It would only serve to keep their heat in. They had seldom gone out since then, though she had dug a new entrance through the snow to allow movement once more. Today was a special day though. Asherah had long planned for this day. As they had feast on the frozen corpse of a stag, she had plotted for the bones. She had struggled to move it nearer to the den, but she had managed. Day by day she watched the meat vanish, but was filled only with excitement. This stag, with it's magnificient antlers, would be the children's first gift to Molech.

On this day she had risen early, earlier than normal, and gone outside the den to work at the stag. It was within eyesight of the den entrance, so she could watch for her children and they could see her. It took some time to warm the meat again, then more to separate the skull itself. Finally, the prize was won. Though the cold had slowed the process of decomposition, she herself had picked away at the skull, along with other predators. It was not as clean as if it had sat in the summer, but the remaining strings of flesh would soon fall away. 

She stood back a moment to admire her work, beaming down at the skull. Surely this offering would please Molech. Perhaps Molech would take the weather from them, take the snow and ice. She prayed The Many Armed God would be pleased with her children's first offering.

He woke early, and even before his eyes opened, he wrinkled his nose in distaste. The air was notably cooler than it should be. His mother didn't normally leave this soon, not when the sun shown so weakly through the entrance and against his closed lids. With a squeaking yawning and a full body stretch he opened his eyes, peering around. He did not see his mother and the wrinkled nose became a frown. Where was she? What about breakfast?

"Nattah." He mumbled, voice cracking with sleep. "NattUH! Where mama Nattah?" He wondered if his sister had an answer for him.