That's the point of the illusion,

Like most of her siblings, and even Ostrega's themselves.. She too developed an odd love toward that of bones. Sometimes Ara would try and collect and nab them, creating a pile of sorts that was more of a barricade of a wall that went into the corner of the den. She didn't throw a tantrum though if her siblings took it one way or another, sometimes she'd desire to try and challenge them for it back, but also didn't feel it was truly worth it - as the pile kept growing from all the leftover pieces.

Then the issue she too enjoyed treating them like a chewtoy. Currently so she gnawed on a oversized one, far bigger then herself, but she tried her best to ware it down while gnawing it with a ferocity.

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 The eagle had been watching. He had seen the large brood grow and change over the course of the last month. None had fallen to illness, nor were any damaged as he had hoped they might be. The queen of the mountain had stayed healthy as he dropped tidings every so often. The others among her pack had kept themselves busy providing for her they might. The eagle, through it all, had not uttered a word.
 Internally he had dealt with the struggle of finding a mate and being unable to secure one in these new lands. As of yet, the number of eagles had thinned, and other than bullying fledglings and juveniles, he had little to do with his own species.
 That day, he watched on a nearby cypress, eyeballing one of the dark balls that he was not meant to touch. Instinct threatened him, and his talons shifted upon the branches as the wind caught his wings.
 Abruptly, the eagle pushed off and flew over head, testing the waters to see what might happen. He did not cast a shadow, for the cloud cover prevented this obvious signal. The size of his silhouette, however, might have been cause for alarm should one bother to look up.

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Mother wouldn't let her go too far, but she was near the outside of the den. Pulling out what was the bone and gnawing on it — that was until it appeared. As a blue gaze wandered to the sky that was newly seen to them, she couldn't help but notice the large being within the sky. She had seen birds, she had seen them dead, but none alive enough where it hovered near her. Ara could not help but forget about her bone, motioning her body upwards into standing, and head far up in the sky with a curious look.

She cocked her head to side to side ; couldn't figure out what it was, but she wanted to know.

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The youngling seemed to look at him, and he could see it, but it did not run as he expected. It sat there, waiting for death from above, too dull-minded to know better. Briefly, the eagle considered taking it; this, after all was something he considered to be among the weak. It was only the stupidest of younglings that did not bear an instinctual fear of darkness above them.

The eagle remembered Hydra's request. He recalled her plea to his inner and nonexistent angel. So, instead he chose the lesser path. Swooping down and stretching out his great talons, the eagle might have snatched the dark ball away from mother and family to her death.
But he landed before her and fluttered his wings, eyeballing her from the side.

“Dead.” It was a simple fact, and so he spoke it. For all intents and purposes, she should have been dead. Dumb puppy, don't be dead. He snapped his beak.

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Hydra observed, near enough to intervene if need be. The woods had gone quiet, and the matriarch knew what this meant. But she had observed the reason why, and so this time lingered in the shadows. In restful repose, and remaining terribly still herself, she was noted by neither. Her daughter was curious, and Hydra was aware curiosity killed. Perhaps it was unfair, having not taught the lesson in its entirety, to let her daughter learn in a trial by fire. Die, too, if that was what The Eagle determined.

Cruel, yes, but Hydra found herself more irate by Ara's demonstrated curiosity, which was true to a childs nature, being acted on than the unrealistic expectation that existed within her. That Ara would simply know better.

The Eagle came down. Hydra awaited a strike, knowing her own mulling it over would kill her daughter right with The Eagle. He did not act, which was of some surprise to the mother. Her feelings on the matter were not revealed as she rose and swept toward them as The Eagle articulated, in His way. Teaching Ara, himself.

“Ara,” Hydra drawled, “do you hear the quiet around us?” she paused, so that Ara might note the eerie, unsettling quiet around them then. The birds, the chipmunks, the squirrels, and all of the rest hid from the mighty presence that presented itself here. “It is The Eagle that causes it. He could kill you,” she drawled. She knew he would have, normally, and even despite her plea that he very well might have. “And any other of his kind very well might,” never mind his protection that ensured they would not. “This one knows and has hunted with me. We have killed together, and fed together. I have asked him to spare you each in his hunting,” she informed, “but that does not mean he always will. You are easy to carry now,” she drawled, and gestured toward his talons, “and we as wolves cannot take to the skies. If you were not within my reach, there would be nothing that I could do to protect you from this danger. I may not always be there, as I am today. And so it is important to know that when you hear this silence,” she hummed, “that you are in danger, at your size. Do as the rest do,” she hummed, “fall silent. Hide, as they do. Go to the nearest place where you are not within reach. Here and now, it is our den,” she gestured toward it.

She sighed. “Your curiosity can kill you. It should have,” she drawled, “but The Eagle has shown mercy. Do not make this same mistake twice,” she forewarned. Should she, Hydra would know that The Eagle was warranted to do as he would with her. Now, Ara had learned the lesson. Before, well... Hydra recognized that she had not been instructed. All the same, she worried for their instinct; she pondered if, at this age, curiosity overtook that.

Hydra was learning too, still, it seemed.

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She stepped back, an eye in amazement but worry for the words that spoken. She knew limited vocab, but she knew what dead had mean. His wings were great, and his body was far larger then her own, could he simply.. Was he going to? As he snapped his beak her senses only then kicked in with slight fright and she backed up, though her body into that of the Dame, and looked up to Hydra with an innocent view, and almost confusion as she was not sure what was occurring.

But what she did understand by the way her mother moved and spoke, the sighs she did, the way her eyes turned and looked upon her — she was disappointed. How Ara interpreted it was the first her dame to be disappointed, it made the abyssal puppy look toward The Eagle with a somewhat flame within her body, almost as if she was shamed because of so. Though she knew, her mother was giving words of warning, as if it was some great being, and would give a swift look away, and onto the ground with a more morseful attire, a face of pity. 

He was a danger, she understood, but something to be respect..

Could.. She be like that?

Would her mother not be disappointed then? 

A meager nod was given, as she dwelled into a thought.

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Skippable now

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 The moment that the queen of the mountain stepped out, the eagle backed away, quickly launching himself into the air only to perch on a nearby branch. He listened vaguely to her words. Wolves seemed always to do this — many words were said to replace his single message to the youngling. He wondered if the infant was even old enough to comprehend it.
 For her part, the little sootball didn't say anything. He preferred this.
 He eyed the pair of them from the side, quickly losing interest in this lesson. Out of boredom he began to clean his feet, finding the feather of a young owl stuck to one of the talons.

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Could her daughter understand all of what was said? Perhaps not, but Hydra could sense the concern. Something within her words (she thought, as opposed to The Eagle's single one) had struck a chord in her daughter. Whatever was not understood this day, Hydra would take care to explain until it was. Her children were important to her, and Hydra withheld a sigh as she looked to her daughter that observed The Eagle. It would have wounded her greatly, to lose Ara. Hydra had high hopes for her daughter, who the matriarch imagined shared parts of her own savage spirit. Time would surely tell whether this was so or not, as well as if she ought to have not asked The Eagle for any favor at all in ignoring her cubs as prey.

But Ara was very young, and the very young did not know better. It fell to her and Dirge in these early days to teach them just that, and Hydra still thought of the other cubs and that what Ara had learned she would need to instruct. Already she planned for such a lesson, and others with it in the days to come.

Hydra also noted her daughters disappointment. The mother would not coddle the girl then, not after the error made, but knew that time spent feeling sorry for ones self was a waste... and she was never one to do such a thing. She would see to it that her children never did, either. Looking to The Eagle, and then back to her daughter, Hydra lowered her head and drawled near to her daughters ear, “hide, in the nearest place you see. Now,” she prompted. Hydra had been sure to pick a place to whelp that had plenty of nooks and cranny's just small enough for her cubs to scurry to that would prove too much of an obstacle to any threat, when even the mouth of the den was too far. She wondered if her daughter would figure that out, but Hydra stepped away.

If she did not, Hydra would be the one to 'steal' the girl then. Closer than that, though, was something else Ara could dive into.

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Her head lifted when the hawk motioned away, grand wings sprouting and a quick dash to the sky. A mimic of sorts, as ears flickered when she heard her mother to hide, Ara wanted to match that speed and dove to the dearest way. A blockage from herself and the eagle was a boulder somewhere near the den, where she ducked into. Though she was in a prowl motion, a curious head peeking out in an approvement from her mother and the eagle as she gently hovered the ground.. Like a motion of attack but slopey, as tail held high in the air in a stillness and she kept a head continual looking out.

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Her daughter listened, and Hydra observed. Ara was quick enough, and had find a decent hiding spot out of reach from the predator. She did not go so far where The Eagle would have a moment to do anything, but opted to make things quick, fast, and efficient. “Good,” she commended lowly. With her daughter now, the matriarch saw the distracted eagle in her peripheral and knew he was bored; Hydra had more to teach this day, and darted near to her daughters hidey-hole, though not before picking up a loose skin.

“Come, and try and take this from me,” she drawled, tail swaying behind her as she deposited the item beneath her paw. The moment Ara emerged the matriarch would again take it into her mouth to tempt her daughter with its nearness until she would engage the girl in a game of tug of war, which would strengthen her in other areas. Little was done without it having a purpose, including this.

This could be a fader for this one <3

---

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Her tail wagged upon acknowledgement and approval, though she didn't move from her position yet — thinking there was more to come. She couldn't help but continuing to sneak peaks at the eagle though, wondering if it would look over at her or even move.. Though he seemed bored, and uncaring to her presence, which though it seems to her mothers preference, that was for the best. Something to fear and to keep at bay, for any time the other could swoop her up for the kill.. But she was curious, and wanted to know more.

Then her mother urged her to come — and instead of normally coming full-force like a wild bull, she prowled in a cautious nature. She wouldn't just let her have it, that wasn't how any of the lessons came. There was always something one way or another and they were never easy. Ara with a caution, body lowering and cautiously coming forth, one paw after another.. She was carefully coming forth to get that item in a swipe — as she finally darted to it, just for the matriarch to lift it. The day was then spent of her trying to pry it out of her mothers mouth.

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