Erani

She was so happy. Deep blues gazed down at the five sleeping bodies tucked against her belly, ears cupped forward to hear the occasional whimper, or larger sigh as they dreamed. Euphoria. She was a mother again, this time to her own blood. A prickle of sadness pressed at her. She had wanted Chrysanthe and Epiphron to be their big sisters. Out of all Cairo?s children, they and Preston had always been the ones she?d felt closest to. Now Chrysanthe would be going away, to be? Married. The strange word felt strange even to think. Deep blue eyes intensified as they gazed at the sleeping slips of fur. No one was going to ? Marry her children off. Cairo and Collision could both stuff it if they wanted to try. She may have had no control over Chrysanthe?s future, but damned if she didn?t with her own blood. She leaned in and caressed the largest pup, Castiel, with her tongue, causing the white pup to squirm closer, nuzzling into her fur, and latch on for a snack. The soft sucking noises and tiny, breathing grunts soothed her ire and she went about grooming every pup until they were all busily nursing, occasionally wriggling to a more comfortable position. After a while, they fell into the slumber of well fed, content pups, blind and deaf still, though their senses would soon be opening to take in the world. And oh, would they be a handful then. She smiled softly. Nova, Chrysanthe and Epiphron had named the girls well. Surreal, Arella and Lyric. She leaned back onto the moss, legs stretched out until they quivered with delicious sensations. Then she relaxed, melting as the release of the stretching washed over her. Why did it feel so delightful? She gave a soft hum and closed her eyes. So soon, her children would be opening their eyes and ears to the world. She vaguely remembered how it felt when one?s ears were opening for the first time. The closest thing she could compare that to was getting water lodged in one?s ears, and the sound you heard when you held your head at an angle to where gravity pulled the water out. Ears opening was like this, but slowed down to days, sounds going from muffled, indistinct rumblings and tones, slowly defining themselves to something clearer. She flicked her ears slightly as the memory of those feelings lifted. She could almost feel it again. A pup moved, wriggling over a sibling to find a better spot, moving by feel and scent alone. The rest of the litter took the initiative and began rearranging themselves along her side. A moment later Erani gave a soft smile as all five latched on. It was the most relaxing sensation, being a mother, yet it was undertoned by a fierce sense of alertness. Every sound outside was analyzed before being passed off as a bird or a squirrel. She?d almost snapped at Nova this morning, being half asleep. She?d been having a bad walk in the Dream realm. She?d caught herself in time, his scent telling her it was alright. He was out hunting, and she quite looked forward to the treat he said he?d bring home. She wondered what it would be? She secretly hoped it was bison, though she didn?t want her mate getting injured because she wanted such a difficult catch. He was the kind of male that would climb the stars to Luna if he thought it would make her happy. And with the pups, it seemed this inclination had been heightened. He?d been bringing home special gifts every day for the past three days. A flowering herb he knew she liked for more than just healing, waterfowl that were particularly difficult to catch. A fish, and his appearance when he?d come in with that particular gift, water dripping from his fur and face, looking hopeful and sheepish at the same time, still brought a smile to her muzzle. The fish had been a catfish, and she could only wonder at the patience it?d taken to get that fish for her. Catfish, she knew, liked to hide under things in the water, or tended to be deep and at the bottom. It had also been quite delicious. She smiled softly and lifted her head again to gaze at her brood. It had been three days since their birth, and already they were getting big. Silky fine fur shone sleek and shiny in the low light, and movement was rigorous, and the suckling was firm, demanding more milk. She smiled, blue eyes soft and happy. If only their grandmother could have seen them.

Nova

Today, another awesome day. It was cooler than usual, the puppies were doing amazingly, Erani was happier than he'd ever seen her, he was full of energy and crazy enough to do what he did today... Something stupid, something wonderful, at least for him. He got her favorite food! He was absolutely insane for doing so also. He could have died in a second. Never returned home, wasted away in a field with his belly gored... But he didn't, a mere rake across his flank was all that he bared from his tussle with the bison's mother as he fled with his trophy he sighed as he grabbed a swift drink of water from a babbling stream. Some chances are just worth taking for a woman's happiness. He looked at the lifeless maimed calf and scooped it into his maw, lifting it with ease. He pressed onward, finally making it to areas he and Erani had marked months ago. He bounded onward, limp limbs of the defeated calf wobbling with his bouncing runs. He reaches his den and finds her immediately with his puppies, their puppies sleeping soundly against their mother. He dropped the meal gently by their eating spot and stood proudly over it, watching his female, waiting for her reaction to his latest gift.

THE TOE BONE'S CONNECTED TO THE

HEEL BONE

with him being a tiny speck cast against a slightly cloudy sky, it was no wonder why it was easy for him to go unnoticed. he moved in a lazy pattern--not circling, as circling was suspicious--but in a manner that caused him to seem as if he had better things to do than stalk the mother and her pups as she had been doing. they had been easy to find on the plains, as it was obvious they hadn't counted on some terror from above such as he. the seemingly-crazed vulture was, despite the ease in which he could devour them, not interested in the pups. no, their bones would be undesirable; they would be frail and no fun to drop from the sky and shatter. he couldn't allow for such an opportunity to go to waste. there had to be someone hunting for the lass and her offspring. he knew there had to be.



and he was right.



ezekiel wasted no time in the plummet as the deceased beast was set upon the ground. his wings folded to his side and his body weight descended with terrifying speeds. there was little to warn them of his approach--only the very, very slight whistling of his body through the air, which sounded identical to the whine of the flies and other various winged insects that infested the plains. when he was only several feet above the entrance to the den in which the lad had disappeared into, though, his massive, nine-foot wingspan snapped outwards with a sound similar to the crack of a whip, and the male swooped inside, movement slowed by his wings so he wouldn't crash into anything, but quick enough to where he still had a relative chance to catch they by complete surprise. his beak snapped outwards toward a bouncing leg of the calf, snagging it, and the bearded vulture began to withdraw, massive wings flapping furiously and taking up most of the passage out.



whether or not his flailing and potentially dangerous wings would keep the wolves from retaliating or not, ezekiel was not about to stick around and find out. the bird felt the leg give away to his assaults as it was ripped from the carcass, and he was forced to hop once with surprise before he was in the air again and exiting the cave, moving up out of reach before deciding to inspect his prize.