Hutch padded along the narrow, winding river in search of food. The woods were quiet, and only the sounds of his pawsteps could be heard over the babbling of the brook. Earth crunched beneath his paws, and hurt his pads as he tried to step over the larger rocks that blocked his way. Very little prey could be heard both up and down the river. Hutch stopped when he heard a small mouse nibbling a nut beside a bramble bush. With the little hunting skills he had, he dropped into a hunters crouch and began to stalk his prey. His paws light on the ground, Hutch was certain this one would become a meal. Closer and closer, Hutch went pawstep after pawstep, afraid even the slightest noise would alarm the grey mouse. When he was close enough, he sprang, his teeth enclosing around the petrified mouse. With a swift bite, the mouse was dead.
With the mouse between his jaws, Hutch continued through the forest, stopping every so often to scent the air. Cautiously, he padded along the forest floor, picking up dirt with his swollen pads. He came to a hollow tree and stopped.
"I'm back!" He called, and out raced two other kits, his sisters, Mouse and Fawn. Their mother had abandoned Hutch and his sisters, Mouse, Berry, and Fawn, and his brother, Talon, when they were just babies. The kin had grown together, and somehow managed in their tree in the deep forest.
"Talon and Berry went out to check the area around us." Fawn meowed, taking in her brother's scent. "How was the hunt?"
"Good enough to feed some, but not all of us. I'm going back out."
Fawn shared a scared glance with Mouse, and Mouse stepping forward, a pleading look in her eyes. "Don't leave us here, we're scared. Take us with you, Hutch! We want to learn how to hunt so we can help take care of ourselves." Fawn meowed in agreement, but Hutch wouldn't budge.
"It's too dangerous out there. What if foxes come?"
"You can help us defend ourselves. And, besides, I need more Stinging nettle for your pads. You sit down….now. I'll go see if I can find anymore." With that, Fawn padded away from the tree, heading into the forest. Weaving through other plants, she finally came to the stinging nettle. Her paws worked furiously as she tried to dig up the plant. She felt a feeling she wasn't alone, digging up herbs. She could feel a pair of bloodthirsty eyes staring at her. This only made her claws dig deeper, scraping up mounds of dirt and twigs behind her. The eyes were still staring, Fawn was sure of it. Taking the Stinging nettle in her jaws, she ran back to the tree, paws thumping against hard earth and mossy undergrowth. She weaved in-between trees and hurled herself over rocks, making sure not to drop anything. Panting, she threw herself on the ground near the oak, where Mouse and Hutch were practicing their fighting skills.
Mouse was squatting on the ground, facing Hutch. He too was squatting, but his haunches were high in the air. The light of battle was in his eyes, along with playfulness. Mouse sprang, but Hutch was too quick. He rolled out of the way before Mouse even came a mouse-length away from him. He purred in delight as Mouse heaved herself up from the ground and shook her pelt off, flinging moss and twigs all over the place.
"That was a good try, but I could see it coming. Let me show you how exactly to do that move… I think those forest rouges back home called it the leap and hold." Hutch, being the oldest of his kin, was 3 moons when their mother left them, and he luckily still remembered some of what it had been like before. Fawn was born with him, and Talon, Berry, and Mouse had been born later on, just kitted when she had left. Hutch got back into position and signaled Mouse to do the same. This time, though, she was quick. As soon as Hutch got into position, she leapt from the ground, landing on his back. She gripped on with sheathed claws, not wanting to let go. Her brother was stronger, though, and he shook her off of his back and pinned her to the ground.
"I'm horrible!!" Mouse whined, struggling under her brother's weight.
"No you're not, you just need time. It took me a long time, too. You'll get it." He got off of Mouse, giving her time to catch her breath again. "Get inside…you look tired. I'm going to find Berry and Talon. It looks like it's going to rain soon."
"Alright, but hurry back! You don't want to get caught in the storm." Berry padded away, crawling through the tunnels that lead to their makeshift den in an old oak tree. She soon turned back, remembering something she had to say. "Hutch!" She cried after her brother, who was already half way up the path. He turned, looking back at Mouse with questioning eyes.
"Yes, Mouse?"
"Be careful out there."
