Having pups and abandoning them as cubs was much easier than having pups and actually participating in the raising scenario. Arace was quite over it already, the way the pups latched onto her teets and seemed to suck her dry of everything. Energy, time, patience. Typically when she grew too irritated she would simply stand up, ignore their whimpering, and leave the den. Surprisingly she had not turned to complaining to Starfall yet but mostly because she was devising a way to get these pups to grow up faster. When she had located Kahina after birth, the girl was old enough to be on her own. Scrappy, resilient, and intelligent. All things that Arace prized, what with her profession. She could not picture her daughter as being like the pups now. Boisterous, playful, angsty (mainly Aurora). Not to mention the fact that Arace was rather bothered - something was wrong with her genes.

She knew she had a son named Boneskull somewhere: she knew he was deaf and quite possibly dumb according to Kahina. Hence why she had not sought him out. Now she had a daughter who either couldn't or wouldn't talk and she couldn't help but feel a bit miffed that such things came from HER bloodline. At least the children were not ugly, but then, neither of their parents were.

They were getting old enough to want to venture out. Polaris had mentioned it several times but she had curbed his enthusiasm with warnings that he could get eaten. Even if she didn't particularly like being a mother, she did have the instinct that meant caring for them, and while she couldn't rightly say that she loved him, they did sometimes bring a sense of comfort and peace. Rarely.

She had been away from the den since before dawn with the intent to hunt. It was time to offer up some regurgitated food and see if they could handle it. Maybe then her belly would stop it's constant aching from milk teeth and from lactating. She had managed to catch a rather dumb witted pheasant and spent the morning chewing and swallowing until she felt quite full. With graceful steps she glides back towards their little glen. It was no longer just Starfall's and she had little intention of leaving at the moment unless the pups became too much of a handful. Then she would go beg Zelda for something to do, her bored mind already aching for purpose.

A flash of movement has her yellow eyes narrowing as she spies Aurora jump up then fall flat on the ground. What was the girl doing? Did they not LISTEN? A low growl is given in the back of her throat as she suddenly races forward, ears back, intending to scare the pups with flashing teeth. A snarl is given and then immediately she comes to a halt, snout rising in a irascible look. "See how quick I could have snatched one of you up? Hmm? You are lucky I am not one of those wolves who like to eat puppies. I've heard they taste yummy but I've never had much of a taste for pups." The words are woven in her elegant voice to scare the pups and it is a lie - she has never tasted wolf flesh, but there were those who feasted upon it.

"Well, you two are out here anyways so you might as well try something. Polaris, make sure to keep an eye on your sister. She can't shout if something snatches her." The words are said in passing, not meant to make Aurora feel bad, just blunt and truthful, but her eyes slip down to the patchy part of her daughter's legs with a frown. It is clear that Aurora does not want to talk about it just yet and Arace files it away for later, lowering her head to the ground and belly contracting as she heaves up some of the meat for them. "Try this," she encourages with a sudden gleam in her yellow eyes, stepping back to let the pups nearer. With luck their bodies would take to it and she could wean them as soon as a week!