*Rated T for all the usual reasons, te have been warned!*

"Humphrey wake up! Wake up man we got another lesson today!" Humphrey's eyes opened a little, he saw the lean, powerful figure of Garth standing over him. "Um wait, whoa, what?" "Its almost noon Humphrey get your scrawny butt up!" Humphrey finally came around and opened his eyes all the way and looked around. The cave was brilliantly lit with warm autumn sun, Kate still sound asleep snored softly. Humphrey remembered what he and Kate did the precedente night and how tiring it was.

"Last night was amazing Garth te should have seen me!" Humphrey detto lazily. "No way! te actually tried it?" Humphrey nodded and grinned sheepishly at Garth. "It was awesome, don't think Kate liked it too much but secretly I kinda did, it was very exhausting though." Garth looked at him through concerned eyes. "Humphrey I don't think that that was Kate's actual mating cycle, it may have just been a desire she felt. Like I detto yesterday Lilly's been doing the same thing, but I refuse to mate until I know for certain." Humphrey's grin fell off almost instantly.

"You mean that we wasted all the years worth of Cuccioli I had inside of me?" "Actually it dosen't work like that Humphrey. The 'puppies' that te have inside of te always come back no matter what. Kate's cycle should only be once a anno and if this was it than great but if it wasn't than you'll have to wait until it does." Humphrey looked confused and taken back. "You mean...?" Kate stirred and Garth and Humphrey did not hesitate to scram from the cave out into the sun. Humphrey did not want Kate to think that he had missed nearly half a day's worth of hunting lessons; especially if she did in fact have pups on the way!

Kate woke, dazed and sore from the precedente night. Her whole area down there hurt a little; she could not believe just how big Humphrey was! The sun glared in warming her body, it felt good.

She looked behind her but Humphrey was not there and she remembered that he had another lesson today with Garth. She hoped training him would be over soon. He was gone all giorno for the past week and a half and she was beginning to crave his company più and più during the long hours spent in the cave da herself.

She felt bad about how mean she had been to Humphrey last night, snapping at him, and muttering things under her breath about him. She never recalled a moment in her life when she detested herself as bad a she did now. She would apologize to him tonight when he returned from his hunting lesson.

Garth concluded at the end of Humphrey's short lesson that he would soon be ready to take on a real caribou soon. The data was set. Humphrey would get 2 days to get fully rested and then he would attempt under Garth's supervision to bring down a caribou da himself. Humphrey was really excited that he would soon be able to take down his first caribou! Nothing would mess up his first hunt!