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River-Swollen's going with A

She stared down at the hatchlings until she met the emerald one's eyes. He. She. It would come home with River-Swollen. She had the hair, the horns and the bait tail; she knew her worth. It was damn cold but rushing these delicate matters wouldn't help. Not that it would matter seasons from now. She stalked her way to where the hatchling crouched. Beady eyes stared up, mistrust clouding them naturally.

"I choose you."

She dropped the jerboa unceremoniously and stomped on its tail to keep it in place. The small rodent did a macabre dance for its life. Seconds passed and it showed no intentions of slowing down. She watched the hatchling closely.
Defiance now swirled in its eyes. It reared back and jumped to its claws, aggressively staring her down. Up, up that featherey crest went. She liked this hatchling. It had a firey spirit. She wasn't going to feed it to the hatchling like some mama hatchling. She already staked her claim on the green little punk. The hatchling even flapped its wings some, causing the jerboa to still, transfixed at the new knowledge that its predator was no longer River-Swollen but a smaller one with hungrier eyes and a meaner beak.

Finally, the hatchling lowered its head and glared up at her but assumed a submissive pose and squawked a small sound. There. She let the jerboa go and the hatchling snatched it up. It decisively turned around, shook its butt at River-Swollen and continued to eat the jerboa all the while ignoring her. The a**.

A motley group of Kin and their hunting companions had gathered in the clearing already, and the gryphon hatchlings were well-fed indeed; occasionally, Whispers or Shattered would slip away, likely off to watch over or guide another participant. Soon, however, it became apparent that no more would come, and the gryphons seemed well-fed and pleased anyhow. The two kimeti conferred quietly with each other, their heads close, and Shattered's hair fell over her eyes when she dipped her head in agreement. Finally, she stepped away, tossing her hair back over her shoulder with a practiced flick of her head.

"You have all done well to come so far," she told the assorted Kin, studying each one in turn. "Respect and authority are equally important to these hatchlings, and you have all proven your strength and stamina."

Whispers stepped forward. "Treacherous Snow. You understand that there can be motion in stillness, and you did not give up. This one will learn to respect you, in time." He nudged the starling hatchling forward; though it hissed and flared its wings, it went obediently to her.

"Hurry Up. Your patience and tenacity have impressed us both; though this chick is impulsive and wild, I hope it will come to see as you do." Shattered caught the vermilion flycatcher's eye, and it stretched lazily, before prowling over to him.

"Creeping Cloud, your strength and speed are impressive, and we would expect no less from our free-running kin. It seems your confidence has impressed them." Whispers didn't even have to motion this time; the canary gryphon padded eagerly to the kiokote's side.

"Cooperation between hunting partners is important, but often, the results of a hunt come down to luck and perseverance. Echo, I believe this chick will be a fine addition to your hunting party." The blue doe motioned the final chick forward, and it fluttered blue wings before it obediently joined her.

Whispers smiled slowly. "It was a pleasure to observe the hunting skills of so many kin today. To those of you who leave alone today: hone your skills and be ready. Perhaps, in time, all of you will come to have your own hatchling."

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Finally, the winners! My apologies for taking so long (and being so long-winded in my closing, whoops), but I really enjoyed reading all the entries, and had to resort to using the dice rolls to break a tie in the end! Congratulations everyone <3