Great Wolf Children Book one: New Beginnings

Chapter Sixteen: Practice in Parenting

Awan trotted up to the pups, Raven lingering behind him. He wagged his tail in greeting at the pups. 
Raven looked under the shady tree to see two pups wrestling and climbing over the roots, and another two chewing on a bone. Raven flicked her ears towards the two wrestling and nudged Awan. "Isn't that Rocky?" she asked, "I thought he was getting better?"
The pup let go of his sibling's leg and looked up at the sound of his name. Rocky folded back his ears as Awan gave him a scolding look.
"He was getting better. Until he got sent home and wouldn't take his herbs. He buried them and lied to his mother, saying he did take them. So when the Rabbit Fever got worse, it spread to his siblings."
Rocky ears remained lowered as he muttered, "They taste bad."
The mother of the pup nipped at his tail and he yelped in surprise. She tutted at him, "And now you have to take even more than you would have had to in the first place." She huffed and added, "And now your brother and sisters have to take them too!"
The mother looked up and nodded at Raven, "Sorry, we've never been properly introduced. I'm Coral. Those two," she nodded at the pair chewing on the bone, "Are my daughters, Opal and Jade. Of course, you know Rocky. That's his brother over there," she nodded towards the tree, "is Miles."
Raven smiled, "It's nice to meet you, Coral. Your pups are lovely."
Coral sighed suddenly looking exhausted, "Looking after them for a while might make you change your mind." She looked at Awan and smiled gratefully, "Thank you for volunteering to watch them. I'll be back soon."
Awan nodded, "No problem."
Coral stood and said goodbye to the pups, "I'll be back soon," she told them, "Rocky,Miles, Opal, Jade; when I come back I better hear that you were good."
The pups called out in a chorus of good-byes as she padded off.
Once Coral was out of the clearing Raven turned on Awan, "You didn't tell me we were pup sitting." she growled.
"Oh?" Awan shrugged, "Guess I forgot to mention it."
Raven rolled her eyes.
Awan called the pups over, "Okay, pups. Until your mom gets back, Raven and I will be taking care of you, so if you need something tell one of us."
Immediately one of the female pups, Opal, jumped up. "I need to go to the midden!" She announced.
"I'll take her." Raven offered, not wanting to be left alone with the two boys who had started wrestling again.
"Take these bones with you, please." Awan pawed the remains of a leftover meal. "There should already be a hole dug for them."
Raven nodded and picked up the bones, "Come on, Opal. Would you grab the ones I dropped?"
The pup fumbled to pick up the stray bones then hurried to catch up to Raven as she walked towards the midden's path, marked with two stones on either side.
"How do you know my name?" the pup asked on the way there.
"Your mom told me."
"Oh," she paused for a moment before asking, "Did she tell you my sister's and brothers' names?"
"Yes."
"Oh...What's your name?"
"Raven."
Raven sighed in relief as they reached the midden.
She dropped the bones she was holding and took the ones the pup held in her mouth.
She waved the pup away who was dancing around in the grass, "Alright go do your business, I'll deal with these scraps."
The pup scampered away, looking like she was just barely going to make it.
Raven shook her head and found an uncovered hole that was nearly full of molded herbs and bleached bones. She tossed in what they'd brought before scraping dirt over the top.
"Opal." She called, "You done yet?"
She turned around in a circle to look for the pup, but she was nowhere to be seen.
"Opal?"
Raven cursed under her breath. She sniffed about and found a freshly covered hole that Opal must have dug.
"Opal?!" she called. "Where did you go?"
Raven fell into a crouch as the leaves of a near-by bush began to shake.
"Opal?" she flicked her ears around nervously and stepped towards the bush.
Something crashed out of the bush, making Raven jump back and bark in alarm.
Opal stood in front of her, her leg wrapped up in a cluster of spiny branches.

The pup whined and tugged at her leg, "It hurts."
Raven pricked her ears in alarm, "Opal! How did this happen?"
Opal sat down, being cautious  of the tangled leg," I saw a really cool stick I wanted to get to bring back, but I tripped and fell into a prickle bush."
Raven shook her head sympathetically, "Hold still, I'll get you out."
Raven grabbed the thin branch spiny branch carefully in her mouth, it cut her tongue as she unraveled it from Opal's leg.
Serval dozen small wounds lined her leg, the tan fur on her leg started to turn pink. 
Opal looked down at her leg and tears started to gleam in her eyes.
"Oh, don't cry Opal, Awan can make you better." Raven licked the pup on the head and picked her up by the scruff, "I'll carry you back, I'll bet Awan has something to put on your leg to make it stop hurting."