Warning: Vomit
The little one seemed to enjoy the grooming as he made cute noises and bumped up against her. Already he was trying to speak, to mimic her, and Sage suddenly realized that she had no idea what she was doing. She was too young to be a mother! She didn't have brothers or sisters who had pups to raise. She didn't have much experience in the caretaker department really at all, despite knowing to just be polite and nice. She had no business trying to protect and guard this child. She didn't even know what to feed it! Or how. Or when.
And yet, all thoughts that had started to flood her mind with 'Leave it behind for it's real parents, you have no business stealing a child away. You don't know what you're doing.' ceased as she watched it escape her gentle grooming session to nose along her, bumping into and against her gigantic body. He was so small, and she so large, that she was afraid that by just shifting her weight, she might squish him. So, when she moved she did so with incredible delicacy, each inch approached with focus and caution. She heard his belly grumble and her folded ears flattened on her head. Hadn't she just thought to herself that she had no idea what to feed him?
"Uh... I uh..." She didn't have what he was looking for. That was the whole problem. If he had been her child, nature would have equipped her with the proper tools. "I don't have what you're looking for." she spoke gently to him, even as her pastel eyes glanced around to see if mommy wolf or daddy wolf might be returning. She listened for a moment and heard nothing. And yet still the pup bumped into her, working his way down her side. What could she do?
A thought suddenly struck her, strange but one that just might work. She'd eaten well on her journey from the mountains to the jungle. She made a point to never eat too well, because that's how one got sick from the altitude, but Sage was large. She had a healthy appetite. What if... what if she treated this pup like a bird would treat their young? Could it work? If it did for birds...
Sage's own belly started to make strange noises as she rocked her head back and forth, calling up the meal she'd eaten most recently. After a minute of effort, her jaws parted and in a steaming pile laced with saliva, there sat perfectly digested food for the child that nosed at her. Satisfied with herself at producing such a prize she ever so gently brought her head around to nudge the child back towards the feast he had waiting for him. "I know it's not what you want, but hopefully it will do."