wine and dine

For @Pasha @Swift @Allure II and @Whittier :)

The pups were old enough now to be left on their own whilst Bazi hunted or explored the territory. Pregnancy had kept her in the vicinity of the Northwoods for the majority of their claim, but now she strongly favoured the Peak itself. Before any hunt, the mother would take herself to the windiest heights and just sit there, catching her breath from the arduous climb.

Her body was almost normal again, save for a permanently damp belly and prominent teats. With any luck, that would also go back to normal once the pups were weaned.

That process would start today.

Bazi had tracked down and excavated a warren. The best meat of two rabbits was digesting in her stomach when she reached the den and summoned her children outside with two short barks. She knew they understood her, but they did not always obey - particularly the boys.

Without waiting, Bazi forced herself to throw up the half-digested meat. The warm, smelly piled sagged at the edges, and looked to be (from previous experience with Relonikiv's first meal) the perfect consistency for her little first-timers.

As was becoming the usual, Swift was the first to turn his attention to the return of his mother (or the approach of anyone or anything). He had started to pad forward to greet her, when she suddenly stopped and wretched something onto the den floor. He stared at it for a moment, and then moved toward it. He sniffed around the pile of loveliness, and then compelled by instinct or perhaps the tantalizing aroma of bile soaked, gooey flesh, began to lap and nip at the meat. In moments, he grabbed a small chunk of dragged it from the pile, where he began to chew with earnest, swallowing little bits as he freed them. Delice.

Awoken by a summoning bark, Allure was far too eager at the invitation to go outside to pay heed to her drowsiness in the matter. With a clumsy plod, the bi-toned girl made her way to the entrance, following after her brother as quickly as she could without stumbling in to him.

It would not be so though – the bright sunshine hindered her sleepy eyes even more, and as a large yawn escaped her, the swarthy pup stopped paying attention to where she was going, and, in turn, went careening in to her paler brother as he swallowed a morsel of what their mother offered them. Sheepish, but undeterred, Allure caught her footing, and blinking quietly at the gift before her, took a tentative slurp of the mess – a rumbling growl escaping her to reveal her approval.

Bazi stepped back, pleased with her work and rather less grossed out by the act this time than her previous stint as a pre-digestion machine with Paarthurnax's children. Watching her own kids gobble down slop brought back fond memories of little Kiv, highlighted in gold against his monochrome brothers.

A burp interrupted her thoughts. It followed through, and a think trickle of meaty barf splattered across the feeding pups' backs.

Swift was so busy chewing the pieces of meat he freed from the bigger chunk he had claimed for himself that he hardly noticed his mother burp up more of the delicacy on to his and his sister's backs. Oblivious, he kept feeding, and when he had devoured that first chunk, he moved in for another. He pressed his shoulder against Allure as if to shove her away from the pile, but he did not do so consciously.

The food kept coming – she did not understand where from, necessarily, only that Bazi was providing them with such a meal. She felt it fall upon her back, and pulling away to blink up, she also noted the substance upon her brother – and, of course, she did not hesitate to begin to lap that up from him.

It was when he began to push her away – a natural shoulder to block her from what she felt she too deserved did a low growl bubble past her meat-stained lips, and without thought, the bi-toned pup cast a sharp snap to her brother, her eyes narrowing.

Neither child seemed particularly fussed to be covered in their own second helping - Allure even took to feed on the slop that covered her brother, licking him clean whilst he slurped on the main event. They jostled each other for space, unthinkingly at first, until Swift shoved his sister a little too hard for her liking. Young Allure snarled, baring teeth, and their mother stepped back to watch the first of many dominance fights to come. Chances were it would go no further - there was plenty food to go around.

His sister was not going to let herself be pushed aside from the food, and reciprocated with a growl and a snap. Swift met her narrowed eyes with wide ones, surprised by her reaction. He did not challenge her. His ears folded back and shuffled back away from her, giving her back the space she had and then some. Then he sat, watching her, waiting. He was a bold pup, and certainly had moments when he may appear dominant... but he was not.

Ruffled by the jostle, her demeanor was instantly appeased when wide eyes glanced up and her brother shifted away, giving way to the feast. Her tongue cleaned at her lips and jowls, and giving her fur a gentle shake to rid the tension, she dropped her muzzle once more, slurping away at Bazi’s presented meal.

It was the pause in her meal from before that allowed her mind to catch up with her stomach, and realizing she was contently filled, the bi-toned pup settled back on her rump, allowing a rather jarring burp to escape her as she continued to lick the blood and meat from her lips. Pleased, and past irritations forgotten, her tail gave a wave as her bright eyes rounded on Swift once more.

Last from me!

The evolution of the puppy hierarchy was fascinating. There was a quiet confidence to Allure that only surfaced when she really wanted something, and Bazi admired her daughter's mixture of grace and sass (a trait her mother liked to think was a direct descendant of her own character, but really wasn't). Swift, too, surprised her - and would continue to. This was the boy who would one day challenge a mountain lion, but he would defer to his pint-sized sister when it came to dinner. Bazi relaxed against the den floor, feeling her spine decompress and lengthen. After a hard morning's hunt, she was exhausted, and it wasn't long before one eye had fluttered shut - the most a watchful mother could afford.

me too!

When his sister had finished, he moved in to eat his share while their mother rested beside them. He ate his fill, and then cleaned his mouth with a swipe of his tongue, before he padded over to his mother's side and lay down beside her. For a while, he remained awake, staring into space and thinking of nothing in particular. But soon, his eye lids slipped down and he was breathing slow and deep as he slept.

With her first taste of meat settled within her belly, the only daughter of Scimitar and Bazi trotted over to where her brother and mother lay, pressing herself close to snuggle against Swift. Black fur met white – and long forgotten was the dominant display of earlier. Tucker in by her family, Allure allowed a yawn to escape her.. and then for her eyes to close. Unlike Swift, it did not take the girl long to fall asleep, and her dreams now starred the visionary meal Bazi had belched up for them earlier – newly introduced to her, and now a sought after treat.