ORIGIN

Giggle hesitated, glancing back at the third gemstone. The brookite.

It hadn't hatched, yet. Would it-? It would, she thought; the question was a matter of when. But that was a problem, because she had two hatchlings now who'd have to soon eat. And she couldn't stay with just this stone for long. So with a mental request, she sent Omen off to pinpoint food; once the Caller found something, she'd swap places, leaving her familiar here to guard and watch the Brookite while she took Serela and Grishia to eat.

The Caller took flight without a sound, flapping softly; Giggle looked to her children. "Grishia. Serela. Good names!" she declared, cheerfully approving. "We're all Bonebound. That's our family. You'll meet the others soon. But are you hungry?" she asked, studying them for any hint of either hunger or what diet they might prefer.

"And do you know what you might like to eat? Don't eat Omen--that bird that just flew away? She's a friend. But other birds, maybe? Rats? Berries, or grass? Bugs? -Do any of those things sound good?"

Giggle knew that the children wouldn't have actually encountered any of those things, yet. But maybe the words themselves might prompt that primal understanding they all hatched with. It was hard to guess; that knowledge could be a patchwork thing. But the next step was taking them on a taste test of the caves, and she'd rather skip that if it were possible.

"Crunchy," she repeated back, with a warm nod. Then she sent that thought off to Omen, directing her to find the nearest cluster of edible bugs. Something enough for kids to eat, anyway. "Let's go see what Omen finds us, okay?"

Giggle turned, leading the way at a slow and easy pace. "Step carefully. There's bones everywhere," she warned them gently, with a nod toward the scattered skeletons. Within a few moments, Omen had found what she was looking for: a Green Wallcrawler infestation along one wall. They were usually plentiful somewhere in the cave; they ate rock instead of plants, so Canis usually had a few. And they were big, juicy, and crunchy: perfect for a couple hatchlings. Head back and watch the last chrysalis, would you? Let me know if it hatches. Thanks, Giggle thought, at her familiar. The bird agreed in wordless feeling, along that link, and Giggle could sense her winging her way back toward the den.

She led the way to the wall, not far off at all, where the Caller had found the bugs. They were long, cylindrical, and emerald with a bright and beautiful iridescence. "There you go," the old hyena offered, stepping aside and smiling at her kids.

An easy, peaceful meal. She was thankful it was nothing more exciting; if they'd wanted meat, the lesson would've been a little grimmer.