Blacktail Deer Plateau cruelty brought thee orchids

for @constantine! set after this thread, the deets of which i'll just keep vague lololol

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as he had done with little eilidh and loud casmir, lasher slipped from the den and gestured for strong constantine to follow him. he would bring the child to the rendezvous site, slowly weaning the trio of them from the known recesses of the willow-hung cave.

mother tells me you are hunting now, mo mhac, lasher murmured to the small ears, moving into the heart of the wood.

The boy followed faithfully after his father, his head swiveling from side to side to admire the landscape as they walked. He felt familiar enough with it from his escapades into the world, but slowly it became less familiar. Constantine kept near to Lasher's shoulder, enjoying being alone with his father since it was a rare occasion.

At his father's words, he chuffed softly in pride and wagged his tail from side to side. "Yuh! 'ouse, 'ouse." Connie replied, remembering the mouse he had proudly given to his mother as a sign of his prowess.

"Kin hunna deer nex, da?" he was so ready for deer hunting since he had accomplished a mouse. That was the natural jump, right?

KIND OF

he laughed, amused by constantine's need to progress from the smallest kill to one of the largest. you will need to grow taller before a deer is possible to attain. soon, he added, lowering his muzzle to nudge at his son playfully. 

presently, he paused, motioning toward where a hare stood in a shaft of sunlight filtering down from the canopy. lowering his body, he passed his paw over constantine's small form, pressing down gently to encourage the boy to do the same. let us try something here, he whispered.

THAT IS THE BEST~~

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Taller?  He huffed.  Already he had gotten so tall.  Connie used to be as short as his dad's paw and now he was slowly scaling his way up the older Mayfair's leg.  Yet he couldn't stay upset long when his father  playfully nudged him.  The boy growled playfully back and reared up to nudge his head with ears flattened up underneath the beta's chin.  There was an invisible bond between father and son that was immensely strong.

A paw pressed him to the ground and he settled as silently commanded, his ears forward and head rotating to where his father was looking.  The whispered words made his heart beat a bit faster in excitement.  It was no deer, but it was bigger than a mouse.  "yuh."  he whispered back, as quietly as he could, as quiet as a little mouse himself.

What was he supposed to do next?  His body was quivering with anticipation and preparation.

taltos sensed the excitement shuddering in constantine's veins, and with a pointed glance at the boy, one that said he must follow, the man began to creep forward, muscles taut beneath his dark pelt. if the child's delight did not grasp him and take over the hunt, he would be surprised, and indeed pleased.

the hare remained foolishly in place and lasher paused in his creeping step. go! he hissed into the small ear, unable to keep the grin from his lips.

Follow, the silent command of his shadow-hued father said, and Connie did.  Faithful as a shadow himself at the heels of his parent.  His throat thrummed with excitement, his whole body vibrating silently underneath his fur as he prepared for whatever was to come.

They approached with stealth like ninjas, Constantine trying to mimic his father's every move until they paused.  Then he crept up near to  his father, looking at the hare with anticipation and interest.  The quiet, solitary word made his upper lip curve back for a moment before he darted forward.  A dark inkblot of movement against the ground, quiet as could be; for once, he did not crow or call out as he raced forward.  He was learning the art of quiet from the elder Mayfair.

The hare, of course, still caught wind of its potential impending doom.  Though a small wolf was not a huge threat, it was a threat still.  It darted away and he gave chase, but of course it was faster than he; a small cub was no match for a hare on the run for its life.

he watched happily as his son darted away, after the rabbit, who swiftly outran the small pup. yet lasher was impressed with constantine's dedication to the hunt, even a failed one, and though he stood to his paws, and broke into a lope to follow his boy and the hare, the beta did not yet call constantine back to him. 

murkwater eyes fixed upon small jetting body, the earthen servant followed the pair, intending to know how the hunt ended itself, a laugh budding in his throat.

He wanted more than anything to make his father proud, so this opportunity was golden.  The boy thought he had a chance, of course he did.  He was invincible, proud, full of potential.  Surely the rabbit would fly to his maw and let him prove himself to his father.

Instead, it was only by chance that the rabbit fumbled over a hidden hole underneath a soft layer of snow, stumbling just enough for him to latch tiny teeth onto its hind paw.  It kicked out hard, pushing the pup backward with a yip of surprise.  Then the hare ran and the boy had no chance of catching up to it this time.

Winded, he sat where he was and tried to remember what it was to breathe.

lasher's breath caught in his chest as he saw constantine's milk-teeth flash against the fur of the rabbit, and then his son was thrown off balance, backwards in the animal's wake. in an instant, the beta had swept to the boy's side, muzzle searching quickly and efficiently for any wounds or broken bones. satisfied that constantine was only breathless, the man nudged him firmly. "good job!" came his proud crow. "next time you will have it!" 

there was the lesson of killing a larger animal than a mouse, but that would be for another day.

Breathing was harder than he would have liked, though he had more of an injured pride than anything.  At such a tender age, it was a blow to his thought that he was immortal.  That he couldn't be hurt and he would always be successful.  The wheeze of air returning reminded him that he was mortal.  He had been struck down by a rabbit, after all.

The reassuring nuzzle from his father made him smile, though he still felt the sting of failure.  His father was not embarrassed, though.  Which helped Constantine feel less than shamed himself.  "Yuh,  nex time!  Joo catcha rabbit, da?  Show Cawnie how!"

to constantine's words, lasher hummed breathlessly; the boy's brief but loud and swift run through the forest would have surely alerted any prey in the area to the wolves' presence. "we shall look for another," he declared nevertheless, setting off at a moderate pace in the opposite direction. "tell me; what would you like to be when you are grown?" the man inquired of his son at length, eyes glancing at the canopy above before returning their attention to the child.

the art of hunting was not one of his strengths, but it was a skill he wished to impart to the boy and his siblings all the same. 

presently, he came across another hare, and sent constantine after it,  until the darkening hours begged a halt to their murderous game.