The few birds who were previously singing became silent. The soft pitter patter sound of critters can be heard scurrying away. On top of the trees, the birds who are camoflauging themselves to the branches and the critters who are now hiding either under the ground or in the tree trunks, are low key watching the show of a huge purple and green scaly being tearing apart with its razor teeth a fresh kill. The victim, now food, is shown thrown in a gruesome unfamiliar angle each time the predator bends down to tear some of its meat. As the victim's four limbs goes down to two, some of the more observant animals watch as two pairs of feet silently creep closer to the feeding colossal.

Light brown eyes meets shadowed black eyes, motioning with his ears he stops and lies in wait behind a tree. As for the owner of the black eyes, his ears bend back and his now healed body crouches to get ready for a quick sprint to his prey's neck. Controlling his breathing, Vick silently morphs his hands into paws and as he runs toward the colossal, his black eyes glow in anticipation of the giant's death.

------- - ----- - ------

"Now, where was I dear... oh yes, come, come, let me explain what it means to be the eldest female of our tribe," says Nancy as she sits on a fur cloth placed outside of her den.

Smiling, Suki sits down on the fresh rained grass and before the elderly female could start bends her head down as she slowly lifts the object in her hands to the other female.

Softly cackling in delight, the elderly female accepts the gift and starts to take a lick of the liquid in the bowl. In between the slurping sounds, Nancy groans, "oh, this is so good. Did I tell you this is my favorite?"

Suki shakes her head in no, "no elder" at the same time one of Nancy's males grunts, "we could bring you much more."

Ignoring her male, Nancy beams, "good that you remembered, now, yes, as you now have learned the elders of this tribe are cared for dearly since they have the wisdom of events that happened long long ago."

"We also know how to take the honey out quicker before they sting," mutters in complaint another of Nancy males as he watches his female smile beautifully at the much younger female.

To this Suki's ears twitch but doesn't ask him how. Instead Nancy grins at seeing her young hopefully soon to be pupil's interest rise. "He he he, let me guess, which of your males got stung?" Tilting her head she begins to guess outloud, "mmm can't be that honest young wolf beast, and it's not that sly skunk beast either... so it's either that loyal bear beast or that other goofy male of yours".

A blush creeps up on Suki's cheek, "Wyatt's beast form protected him from the majority of the stings, but uh Leo ended up being stung the most since he was the one who had to run away with a large chunk of a honeycomb."

Pffff Nancy's males began to laugh, while Nancy grins, "oh you should've seen how Liam and Andrew first attempted to get me some honey. Dear, their faces were so bloated but they looked so proud!"

A throat is heard being cleared, "but now we know better."

Nodding her head she agrees, "remember to get your males seen by my Liam, you hear?"

Suki nods her head solemnly.

"So, anyway, we, as elders, remember the last few droughts (slurp) and what was done to help our tribe survive. We also remember the many times ferals and colossals attempted to attack our tribe (slurp, slurp, oh soo good), which brought out many strategies.. of course for every new beastmen grown into adulthood new battle strategies are form, but some developed from old moves." (smacking of lips).

Again Suki nods her head as she watches how the elder's serious tone and body posture doesn't match her delighted expression.

"As for the rules the Unique One (aww it's almost finish, slurp) has given us about respecting our males and females, I and my past elders weren't alive to see her (licking her lips). But from what I've seen throughout my life and the journeys that I have taken it is that the tribes that don't care, or have forgotten her rules, have not flourished in harmony as ours have."

Pausing, the elder females slurps the last few drops of honey and sighs in happiness. Behind her two of her males have longed ago disappeared into the forest.

Licking her fingers, Nancy gives out a happy cackle, "I see you took the advice of your sly male."

With wide eyes and flush cheeks, Suki was about to reply, but the elder stopped her. "It's good that you listened to him. You see my dear, males are important to us females not only for protection but also because each one has a bit of wisdom and take on life that could help us. Some of their tips are good, such as what that skunk beast gave you, that has helped you to choose wisely."

"So, no dear, I'm not mad that I noticed this... nothing passes my eyes nor my ears," says Nancy as her kind wrinkly dark brown eyes squint as she gives the younger female a tender smile with hints of warning. As for the receiver of this smile, well, let's just say Suki got a hint of who's the real leader of this tribe.

"I'm actually proud that you took this chance. Suki, dear, always listen to your males, especially when they are against something that could cause you pain."

Sighing, loud cracks can be heard as Nancy begins to stretch her back. Yawning, she adds, "those foolish females of the other tribes ignore the warnings and that's how a female and a few other males disappear.. some for good."

Flatting her round ears, Suki asks tentatively, "elder, do you think that after this coming winter I'll be allowed to travel?"

Slowly blinking her eyes, Nancy starts to get up with the help of her standing male, "I don't see why not my dear, but I advice you to get more males and... forgive." Muttering she adds, "maybe a journey would do good...".

Tilting her head in confusement, Suki holds down a shudder and responds in a quiver, "forgive Vick? But I thought I did."

The dark grey hair female with strands of white gives the very much younger female a motherly smile. "Outloud, yes, but not in here," she says as she points to her chest.

Before Suki could shake her head in no, Nancy mutters outloud, "ummm it's almost time for you to go to Liam's class."