No one would be handing out any awards for Desponia's parenting. It was frankly frustrating to her that she had to teach the whelps. Logically she'd known and expected it but that didn't mean she was all that happy she still actually had to do it. That morning Desponia had decided to at least get started, grabbing two of her daughters the woman led them up and around the mountain. She'd handle Astra, Odierne and her son later, she suspected it would be a little harder to convince atleast two of them to participate and she certainly wasn't in the mood to deal with trying to mind Nox's emotions today, maybe Astra would be able to help in that regard. She had to admit having this many kids at least meant the kids had learned quickly to stop biting, a mini hierarchy shaking out whenever one of them got uppity. She had a plan in mind as she led the girls. They were still too young for anything too big or dangerous but might as well start introducing them to the idea of more dangerous prey right? Then they could turn back around and get to finding rabbits or birds or whatever. Desponia spotted what she was looking for a little further up the mountain and she stopped, gesturing for her daughters to do the same. "See that?" Desponia gestured with her muzzle. "That's a Dall sheep, they tend to graze around here. Rams have those horns. All sheep also have hooves, which are hard and blunt, you do not want to get hit by them." Desponia glanced back at her girls. "You're too young to take one on right now, even grown wolves can be badly hurt while hunting one. Got it?" By all rights that should have been it. The ram had been alone, separated from his group probably and though she had pups with her Desponia was a fully grown wolf in packlands. By all rights the ram should have seen her and bolted. And to be fair it did start running... But not away. Desponia had turned around to start herding her kids back down the slope but it was hard to miss the sound of hooves pounding on stone getting closer. It was a strange sight, there was something almost wild in the ram's eyes, his head lowered and horns aimed right at her. Instinct seemed to kick in and Desponia braced, a growl lifting from her throat and she took a defensive stance in front of her kids. Ready to fight the stupid dang sheep, and mostly just hoping the pups would just avoid getting under paw. A likely vain hope. Desponia lowered her own head, meeting the ram's headbutt with her own horns, leaving both jarred for a moment, open. WC: 467 (467/1500) "Speech"

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Inferna's pink eyes gleamed with curiosity as she followed her mother up the mountain. The young wolfdog moved with a raw, untamed grace, each step filled with an eager energy that often made her seem like a small, fierce tempest. Despite her small size, Inferna's presence was electric, charged with a rebellious streak that made her as unpredictable as a summer storm.

As Desponia led them higher, Inferna's mind wandered, her sharp intelligence taking in every detail of their surroundings. The scent of pine and stone filled her nostrils, and the cool mountain air ruffled her thick, white fur, making her feel alive and alert. She glanced at her sister, a silent agreement passing between them - this was an adventure, a test of their mettle.

When Desponia stopped and gestured towards the Dall sheep, Inferna's eyes locked onto the creature with intense focus. The sheep, with its impressive horns and sturdy hooves, looked formidable. Desponia's warning echoed in her mind: "You do not want to get hit by them." Inferna nodded, her expression serious, absorbing every word. She felt a thrill at the idea of hunting such a creature someday, but for now, she knew better than to challenge it.

As Desponia turned to lead them back down the slope, Inferna's ears twitched at the sudden sound of hooves pounding on stone. Her head snapped around, eyes widening in surprise as the ram charged towards them. It was a sight both terrifying and exhilarating - a wild, almost crazed look in the ram's eyes as it barreled forward, head lowered and horns aimed directly at Desponia.

Instinct kicked in, and Inferna mirrored her mother, bracing herself defensively just as she had. She planted her paws firmly on the ground, lowering her head and baring her small, sharp teeth. A growl, surprisingly fierce for her size, rumbled from her throat. Despite her youth and inexperience, Inferna's spirit was unyielding, and she wanted to stand her ground, to protect herself and her family.

Desponia met the ram's headbutt with her own horns, the impact jarring both combatants. For a moment, the world seemed to freeze, the clash of titans captured in stark relief. Inferna's heart pounded in her chest, her body vibrating with a mixture of fear and adrenaline. She was small, but she felt the rush of the fight, the wild, untamed energy of the mountains coursing through her veins.

She glanced at her sister, hoping she was staying out of harm's way, but her attention quickly returned to the ram. The creature was momentarily stunned, and so was Desponia, but Inferna knew this was far from over. She took a step forward, her young muscles tense and ready. Her mind raced, trying to remember every lesson, every instinct her mother had taught her.

The ram shook its head, preparing for another charge. Inferna's gaze hardened, her eyes burning with determination. She might have been a small pup, but in that moment, she was every bit her mother's daughter - a fierce, wild spirit, ready to face whatever came next.

"Stay back!" Desponia's voice cut through the chaos, snapping Inferna out of her trance. She took a reluctant step back, her protective instincts warring with the need to obey. She trusted her mother, and she knew that Desponia would protect them. But even as she retreated, Inferna's gaze remained locked on the ram, her spirit unbroken, her resolve as strong as the mountain itself.

Word Count: 1,040/1,500
"Speech"

The meeting of gazes between herself and her sister as they dutifully followed their mother up the mountain sent a thrill of excitement through Magdalene. A test of might. A lesson to soak up and add to the chapter of her youth. Though she's not completely verbal about it, she is aware that her mother hasn't entirely warmed up to them. But the attempt to even take them out onto the mountain today spoke volumes. No matter what lesson was shared or moment to be had, it would stick with her forever. Because maybe, just maybe, Desponia loved them even just a little bit.

As they crest a small peak along the slopes of the mountain, their mother stops them. Magdalene's paws scrape into the dirt, her body lurching forward as her alert and wide eyes scan the surroundings for the sheep. Impressive was hardly enough to describe the animal displayed before them. Massive curling horns that rivaled Desponia's with equally thick hooves to match. All attached to a hulking, thick body of white wool and beady eyes. Surely this was no monster they would be tangoing with today.

Just as they're about to head home, lesson complete for the day, the rocky ground beneath them begins to tremble. Hooves clatter over stone as loud grunting snorts fill their ears - alerting them to what was about to happen. Frozen at first in a mixture of awe and fear, Mags watches as their mother collides with the sheep. When the sound of horns against horns crashing together reaches her, an urge to protect her dazed mother overcomes her. Adrenaline surges and her mind draws a blank as she propels forward. To Mags, it doesn't matter how small, how weak, how inexperienced she is. A monster has just attacked her mother and he would soon regret it!

Deaf to the warnings and sounds around her, Magdalene leaps into the air, paws forward and feline claws extended. Aiming to attach herself to the sheep's face, hoping to at least scratch his eye out, she releases a guttural scream as her body collides with the animal's sturdy mass. Feral as she can be, Magdalene feels her claws dig into skin as she falls, unable to obtain a permanent purchase upon the sheep's face. Her back hits the ground, everything swirling for a moment as the sheep pulls out of its dazed state, now infuriated by pain, turning its attention onto her.

What had her mother said about avoiding hooves?

Magdalene Antonis

table coding by bunni ♥

wc: 1453/1500

Meeting a headbutt, well, head on, was probably not the brightest idea Desponia had ever had but it had been a split second decision and as she felt her brain shake around in her skull (or that's what it felt like at least) she was kicking mentally into gear. For all her lack of affection for the little monsters there was one thing about Desponia that worked in their favor. Her pride. The last thing she would let anyone do was question her parenting, and as she caught movement out of the corner of her eye before she even picked out which of the girls it was she was shouting. "Stay back!" Wouldn't do to give her family ammunition to say she'd let one of her kids get fucking trampled to death. Unfortunately it seemed her kids had other ideas. As she finally used her horns to push the ram's head off to the side she caught sight of bright neon streaking past her and then launching through the air. Right at the ram's face. It all seemed to be a blur. The woman glanced behind herself for a moment to assess where her other daughter was and nodded when she saw Inferna, it seemed, did not have a death wish. Magdalene was falling from the ram's face, leaving gashes already starting to bead with blood. Desponia almost felt bad for the sheep, she knew well enough how sharp those little claws could be... Almost. But as it turned it's attention to the girl something deeper, more primal took over. She felt little personal attachment to her kids but there was an instinctual drive to protect her lineage that she otherwise never felt. With a growl ripping through her the woman put her head down and charged the sheep, sinking lower, and lower, until she could hook her own curling horns under its stomach and violently flip it over. She stepped in front of her daughter again, this time roughly pushing the girl back with a paw and stared down the stunned ram, who seemed to decide that fighting a mother guarding her pups was not in his best interest. Desponia stood stock still until the beast had snuck away out of view before rounding on her daughter. "What did I say?" Her tone was cold, voice low. Wouldn't do to be caught yelling at her kid, she would have rather waited until they were back at the privacy of her den but she had a lot of pent up aggression still. WC: 422 (1500/1500 wooo!) "Speech"

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