"Hooray! Queen Zuzukimae and Princess Anita are back!" Checkers cheered.
"Princess?" Anita thought to herself.
"So what order does everyone eat in, Zuzukimae?" Anita asked when they had finished dragging the buck to the camp.
She chuckled. "Well, the pack leader always eats first."
"Can I eat with you?" Anita asked before she held up one of the legs in her jaw.
"No, that would destroy the purpose of the ranking system."
"The ranking system..?" This confused Anita.
"Looks at that line, Anita." Zuzukimae pointed to the entire pack lining up behind the fresh-kill. Not helping themselves. "Who do you see?"
"The healer, the elders, some of the pup-mothers..."
"Who else do you see?"
"Troops, hunters..."
Zuzukimae ripped a chunk of flesh off of the deer and wolfed it down. "Once the leader has eaten, it is her duty to feed the rest of the pack. Anita, you will help me."
"But when do I eat?" She asked sadly.
"I'll tell you." Zuzukimae pulled a chunk of flesh from the spot she had eaten from and gave it to the leader at the front of the line, who took his share and left to go eat in peace.
"This mushy meat is especially good for the elders and pup-mothers." Zuzukimae pointed her tail to where she had ripped the meat from. Together they pulled small piles so that they could feed the elders.
"Now, Anita, give some of this meat to the pup-mothers in line, and bring the rest to the ones who cannot get up to feed."
Anita obeyed, trying her best to keep the meat as clean as possible. She brought the meat to one of the pup-mothers that she had met the night of the party.
"Now we must feed the troops and hunters." Zuzukimae told her when she had returned, pulling off one of the legs.
"Like Enrique, Checkers, and Matt!" Anita gave a little bounce.
"Correct." Zuzukimae said, sliding the leg to Anita, who pushed it to Matt.
"Thank you, Miss Anita." He nuzzled her.
Checkers looked at Anita with glowing green orbs. "Hey Anita." He shifted toweards her shyly.
"Hi, Checkers." She mumbled around the deer leg.
"Oh no, I'd rather eat with you." He flatened his ears and tried to hide himself after she said such.
She put the leg down and smiled. "Oh."
"You may eat with him, Anita." Zuzukimae told her.
Checkers pulled out song soft meat from the pile and carried it over to where Matt and Enrique were eating.
"Hola." Enrique greeted.
"No fair! Why does that foxblood get bodyguards?"
The entire pack stopped what they were doing and stared at the foul-mouthed apprentice.
Zuzukimae leaped onto the apprentice, pinning her down.
"SAY THAT AGAIN!" She roared.
"Foxblood!"
"What's a foxblood?" Anita whispered to Checkers.
"A foxblood is a.." He whispered the rest into her ear.
"She can't even fight for herself! She always has mommy protecting her!"
Zuzukimae jumped back as Anita sprung to face her enemy. "Such dirty words you use!" She cried.
Mia stood up. "What are you going to do about it?" She jeered.
Anita swiped Mia across the face, leaving deep red wounds. She turned and walked back to Zuzukimae and her's den.
"She gets more like Zuzukimae everyday." Matt whispered to Checkers.