[Milestone2] Hunting?

“You’re going to starve with a crouch like that.” The shadow’s tail twitched in irritation, gleaming eyes staring at her as she tried to shuffle into a better position. They sighed and stood, moving across the distance between them to nudge her into something more suitable. “You are gifted, Sunlight, but I fear you’ll starve before you ever reach our destination,” they repeated.

Sunlight huffed, ear twitching. “It’s not like I’ve ever needed to hunt before,” she muttered. She was nearing the end of her fifth season now, and it had only been within the last one that the Shade had been insisting she learn to fend for herself.

She knew why, of course, they’d made no secret of what they were hoping for her to one day do… After all, while they’d offered her extra lessons in healing freely, guiding her paws by night as her clowder guided her by day, they had been sure to teach her their history to.

Tales of the Forsaken Ones and the Ancient Tribe, tales of the Shades’ promise when the long-forgotten clowder was driven from its home…

The time had come for cats to return, and somehow Sunlight had been among those they chose.

The only problem, as her mentor loved to remind her, was that she’d never once raised a paw to hunt or fight before. Growing up with a clowder, she’d had no reason to or interest in doing so. She’d always preferred to spend her time surrounded by herbs and listening to the elders’ stories, interests her shadowy mentor had indulged until they realized how truly hopeless at hunting she was.

“Is this better?” she muttered, carefully holding the crouch they’d guided her into as she started to slink towards the stick acting as her future prey.

“Yes. Don’t let your tail drag too much, or the rustle will send your meal into hiding and you’ll be sleeping with an empty belly.”

“Couldn’t I just use herbs?”

“For an entire journey? You’re a cat, not a rabbit.”

She sighed, shooting them a glance. “And you’re sure I have to make it alone?”

A tail flick. “Consider this a final test of sorts. You won’t be expected to found the Tribe alone, of course, but much of the journey will be on you and you alone.” They considered her for a moment. “The only constant is that everything will change. In another life, you could have stayed here forever, lived and died as a member of this clowder, but not this one.”

She hummed.

She… supposed they were right. Now that she knew what was out there, what was potentially waiting for her…

Well, the only thing keeping her from seeking out the path to the Shaded Mount was the imminent starvation that came with failing at hunting.

“Explain to me stalking again?”

“Watch where you put your paws to keep them quiet, the same as you would if you were treading lightly to let a sick patient rest. You know how far you can jump, so when you are close enough, hunker and bunch your muscles. Aim and trust that your paws know what they are doing. Claws out, and pounce. A quick bite to the back of your prey’s neck will suffice to secure your meal the rest of the way.” They nodded at her. “Show me your crouch again,” they instructed, pointing a few long strides away from the practice stick.

Sunlight took a breath and fell back to her position, receiving an approving nod. Right, light steps, don’t let her tail drag…

She crept forward, ears pricked and gaze fixed on her target.

A little closer…

Stop and prepare for the pounce, let her claws slide out…

Then leap!

She flew through the air, her front paws landing with an almost-silent thud on the middle of the stick.

“I did it!” she cheered, grinning.

Her mentor seemed to smile. “Well, you might not starve after all.”