Fireheart's ears pricked up, and off he went alongside them. In time, given health and age, his hunting would be a graceful, ghostly lope. For now, it was the bumbling toddle of a puppy, his head held low, fiery eyes wide.

Mice? He didn't know of the denizens of the caves; he didn't know of the large-fanged cave rats that lurked beneath the rocks. He didn't know the dangers they could pose to those as young as these three. What he knew was hunger, and the promise of sating that, the promise offered by these two so like himself. And so he followed, and sniffed; and when he caught the acrid smell of rodent urine beneath the rocks, he began to scratch at the gaps into which he could not fit, sniffing and whining impotently.

Urgency drove his magic, drove instinct, and flame burned through his paws. For a moment he was unaware, not knowing of the searing heat that drove at the rats as he clawed here and there--and then the pain struck and he leapt back. He gave one short, sharp yelp and danced upon his forepaws, staring down from one to the other with widened eyes.

"Hurts," he whined, and looked to his new friends with wretched confusion and fear clear in his face.

Why were his paws burning-? He'd just wanted to get some food.

Fireheart was unaware, though, that the searing heat had driven hiding rodents farther along the crevices; perhaps they could be picked off there.

@Vyette

There was darkness: them. And then: light! Their wolven brother had cast his paws alight and Vyette recognized the colors, the dancing, as those in his eyes and in his gemstone. Fireheart whined and Vyette’s heart sunk deep into black depths.

It was hot: the ground was cool. The wraith shifted, turned, put nose near it and knew. ”Magic,” she claimed, voice bright with awe. Their knowledge was growing, and magic the most fascinating subject in the wraith’s eyes.

”You are safe.” She did not yet know how to combat fire but she was learning to control magic. She stepped close to Fireheart and pressed muzzle to his neck and nuzzled him there, hoping that soothing him would help him to relax and distract enough for the spell to wane.

@kazgut

Kazgut

I will come to be — I will submerge myself in the body of the earth, sink my teeth into its flesh; and rise in my own skin.

Noises could be heard in the dark; the rustling of bodies, the chattering of teeth. Attuned to this, the black shuck narrowed sights on those that dwelled in the spaces between - wishing to flush them out and to bring them close to teeth. Sharp yelp drove mind back from this brink, and head turned, making contact first with widened eyes of fire; then with the warmth that seeded from paws and scorched the earth where brother had so tread. Strange, wasn’t it? The air smelled of burning, of hair singed and of heat; the hunt fading from thoughts as FIreheart whimpered. (Oh, confusion and fear - acridic scents!)

Kazgut drew near, lunar eyes turning to Vyette as the other confirmed the magics upon the air. For she was awestruck in the face of these things; of what they were coming to be - what brinks of discovery they often sat upon. The magic of fire, the magic of heat, as the void one watched the wraith nuzzle brother and soothe. ”You are fire,” Kazgut murmured, reiterating earlier words, the words that had been recited at first their meeting as the darkness about them shuddered. Soothing, in own way.

Ear flickered, for the heat was seeding shivers amongst the rodents - the dark was making them discontent - their confusion was laid upon the air as though to intertwine with that of the hungry wolves on their doorstep. Wishing to catch prey, wishing to dissipate their hunger - wishing to provide food for brother, for love; Kazgut altered course and went after the rat that had squeeze itself from the below and into the foreground.

Teeth snapped - moonstone bright! - on air, just inches past the tail as the rat (oh, fanged, oh long haired and nasty!) turned as though to return the favor. The black shuck snarled teeth and pounced, batting at the thing - but it was a clever rodent, a clever beast, and resisted attempts to be catch betwixt gemstone and teeth.

---

@Fireheart

Fireheart stood baffled for a little bit too long, the confusion and pain still roiling in him. They were fading--and Vyette was a distraction, a kindly one. Her touch, and the words from both the pups, eased him somewhat.

But Kazgut hadn't given up the hunt, and neither would he. With a brief touch of his nose back, a nudge of gratitude, to Vyette, Fireheart turned and bumbled after Kazgut. He began to come up alongside him, then hesitated; he could hear the cub snapping at something beneath the stone.

Better, he thought, to go around--to the other side of the boulders, and maybe chase the things back Kazgut's way. He wanted to be useful, not a whining mess; he wanted to perform as part of his new family, to contribute. And so he pushed away the pain from his mind, crouching down and pawing, scratching, raking stubby claws over the rock at the other side of the crevices. With any luck he'd at least keep them from fleeing; and if he were very lucky, perhaps startle one back toward his newfound brother.

"Be ready," he advised, voice tight with the pain of it, paws glowing white-hot as the lashed for the rats. The odor of burnt fur was stronger, now. He only hoped that it would work.

@Vyette

Kazgut, true to form, hadn’t given up. He was distracted but he seemed to have faith in their brother, faith enough that he returned to hunting. Vyette, in turn, was finding a sort of maternal need to care for her wolfbrother but, alas, it seemed she’d done as much as she could. Fireheart returned her touch and she, too, felt at ease. She watched as he moved to follow Kazgut and she felt a series of emotions, most much too big for a child. She was relieved, most of all, but a desire to care for others began to form a hole inside of her. The two would fill the hole for now, but so too would they deepen it and soon she’d want more.

Haunches tucked up under her and she sat, watching, observing. The smell of burning stung her nose but her eyes were faraway and her thoughts wild.

@kazgut

Kazgut

I will come to be — I will submerge myself in the body of the earth, sink my teeth into its flesh; and rise in my own skin.

Strength came in numbers; pack mentality was bred. The black shuck felt an ease, confidence, in actions. Validated, maybe, by the way that they moved as family. Eyes were watchful of the wolf-brother as around the other side of rocks, way was made, as the rats were kept in mind. Pride was felt for the way that the one of fire swallowed the pain. (For pain was not a thing easily ignored.) Nod was given to the advise, spreading stance, lowering self upon haunches and feeling teeth - claw - self;

For the rats came. Many; too many. With singed fur and paws fleeing, they came. Pouring out of the crevices, Kazgut did not think twice to strike, catching one of the creatures by the tail but oh, oh - what a fight. The thing had great fangs and was rather large and did not wish to be made meal of. (Already they had tormented it, too, but this was not considered.)

The grim wrestled with the thing, attempting to sink teeth into it - failing, failing - to land a killing blow. Snarling, lips rippling, the bloodletting had begun. (And yes, they had caught themselves a rat - of warm meat and blood and flesh and skin - but the matter of killing it seemed to be -)

Throwing the rodent down upon the ground, Kazgut lunged at it again, again; determined to do something, anything. (Even as the damned thing bit at him!) Oh, the sound of the struggle did richochet.

In the adrenaline, he would feel no pain.

(Later? Oh, yes.)

---

@Fireheart

He could hear the scuffling, the sounds of squeaking and thrashing, that indicated Kazgut had gotten a rat--or been attacked by one. Fireheart felt worry and savagery twin in him: two instincts, one to protect his ally and get the rat down as quickly as possible; and one of joyous bloodthirst, to charge in and tear at it and kill it.

Both instincts screamed down his nerves for him to engage their prey, and so he did, scrambling lopsidededly and stumbling-pawed around his side of the rocks. Kazgut held its attention, tearing, battling it: Fireheart had only to deal some damage. He raced in from behind, as fast as his tumbling puppy paws could carry him, ears coming up and eyes aflame. Lips curled back, his jaws snapping open as he rushed in to bite down, feeling that same heat magic welling up to sear at the rat.

Inexperience took its toll. His tiny jaws, his needle teeth, briefly fastened on black fur: but at his size, it would do little damage. When the heat came forth it impacted not the rat but the white wolf pup's own fur-sealed jaws, his tongue, his gums, and he at once sprang back, stumbling, sneezing, yelping, and shaking his head.

For the first hunt of a few young puppies, it was going about as well as could be expected.

@Vyette

It was a disaster. Chaos, disorganization… her own pack was only hurting themselves. She thrived off it. Anger fueled her and determination swelled in the wraith. A throbbing began, in her head, behind her eyes and radiating in her ears.

She, too, felt pain. But she also felt hunger, in her stomach and mind. ( And oh did her mind throb! ) She lunged forward, towards them, a mess of hair and long legs. Add to it a string of snarling, growling, and she was soon upon the rat, too!

She had no magic to aid them here and her form was much too small, head much too painful. But she tried, still, to sink teeth and warm her gums but so, too, did her inexperience show. But she would not stop: not until the rat was dead.

@kazgut

Kazgut

I will come to be — I will submerge myself in the body of the earth, sink my teeth into its flesh; and rise in my own skin.

Oh, to the endless glittering gemstones that dotted the cavern above - this was disaster. In one moment, the black shuck had been fighting against the rat - and then felt the reprieve offered by brother as rat was grabbed from self; with consequence. Hearing brother yelp, dash back - as Kazgut felt the swell of a dark rage. Blind to the frey, teeth attempted to again seize the rodent - to inflict consequence - snapping air, again, again.

Feeling the anger begin to build, without reprieve - without outlet - (for they were young, they were inexperienced, and the rat was clever, large and did not wish to be eaten!) - hunger, need, sawed away at the strands of mind until - Vyette. For she, too, was snapping with teeth eager for a kill. And he, and he - could not abide by failure.

Air. Air. Snap to air. As chaos reigned upon then, became them, the smell of the rat only fueled him - the warmth beneath the surface, the call of the bones - and the knowing, the needing to feed. To feed them. For their pack to thrive.

Nothing, nothing. Nothing. Not able to do anything to the rat. Not able to do anything.

Lips pulled back over moonstone teeth, a silent, menacing snarl.

---

@Fireheart

Kazgut

I will come to be — I will submerge myself in the body of the earth, sink my teeth into its flesh; and rise in my own skin.

Unable to abide. Failure was not a thing of beauty nor grace; a hunt was a place for blood. The black shuck was aware of the smell of the battle upon them; the burning upon the air, the sounds of their snarls and struggles that resounded throughout the cave. But these awarenesses were small things in comparison to the emotion that was felt in the forefront. Anger. Coupled with hunger. Need for retribution for brother; sister. They would feast.

Kazgut descended upon the rat in a frenzy of snapping, starving jaws and carnivorous teeth. Paws sought to pin - claws to dig - and teeth only wished now to inflict. Blind to this, he felt not but the adrenaline racing, pounding; heartbeat pumping, overshadowing all else! - as the rat was bitten again, again, again - (and so he was bitten in recompense!)

Oh, it was not a clean kill. It was messy. It was a bloodbath. It was the damage of hundreds of puncture wounds of their needle teeth in pelt; the bite of fire on skin; the fear of three predators stalking. The air smelled of iron, of red (red, red) - and of the deed. For soon, soon, the rat was between those jaws - moving no more.

Jaws were parted and the body fell to the floor. Finally, consequentially, concretely - dead. Hunt concluded. Tongue lolled as mouth remained open, panting. Tail raised, wagging just, in signal of victory of their hunt so won. ”Hunt over.” Kazgut murmured, there relief in those words.

Nose was pressed to the corpse, pushing it toward their wolf brother - toward Fireheart. ”Eat.” For the rat was large, horridly wicked, and grown. More than enough to satiate the hunger that burned.

The grim moved toward the wraith, to seek solace - for he was tired (exhausted) and wished for comfort to abrogate the pain.

---