Parties always mean mouths to feed

Kipling was elated to go on a hunt with Ezra and Kipling.  The three-legged pup seemed intent to follow them in bounding leaps and circle back when they started walking but it wasn’t long before he kept to just jogging along beside the larger wolves.  As they got close Kipling looked between the two hunters s they spoke, wide-eyed soaking in the plans.  With the two discussing the plans with each other, the boy hadn’t appeared to pick up on the fact some of this could have gone unsaid.

His eyes moved to where the buck ate the grass, watching how it would shift its weight at times.  The buck would raise its head once in a while, muscles rippling under its skin then lower its head back to graze again.  The prey animal seemed jumpy the way it seemed to pick up on every little sound but when its head was up it didn’t seem to be scared.  It was more like the deer was ready to challenge whatever came after it.

The plan they worked on included the two adults but what about him? He could help also!  Somehow! He could…  Well, what could he do?  Then dad asked about what he thought of the plan he and Ezra were working on.  Kip was opening his mouth to point out how he could distract it when dad cut in saying he didn’t get to help this time.  The boy scrunched up his face in frustration but quickly let it go.  It was pretty cool that he was going to at least be there for the hunt.  “Well, it sounds alright.” Kip hedged, wanting to find some way to prove he could help.  “I bet there are traps you could make that’d help make it easier to catch the deer and less dangerous.” So he didn’t know exactly what those traps were yet but, they did exist, right?  

"Kipling"