Sandkit Chap. 3
"Focus Sandpaw! Tuck your paws under your haunches! There you go!" Whitestorm coached.
Sandpaw was hunting. This was her second day of being an apprentice, and it was not all it was cracked up to be. Already she had visited the elders four times, cracking ticks and changing bedding. Her claws ached from the clawing of moss.
Birds chittered and squirrels gnawed on acorns in the distance. A gentle breeze rustled the canopy of leaves sheltering her from the sky. The woods had the delicious musky smell Sandpaw had grown used to. A mouse skittered beneath a brittle twig, crouching under some yellow and red leaves for camouflage.
Squaring her shoulders, she bunched her hindquarters, ready to spring. Her claws slid in and out impatiently. If you want to learn to hunt, you'll need to be patient! She sprung into the air, her legs expertly pushing her through the air to land on her prey. Already she could taste it. But remember you can't eat prey. You have to feed the clan first. Her paws landed accurately on the mouse, a life ended with a quick nip to the neck. It didn't even have time to squeak.
Quickly she buried her prey, to come back to it later. Scanning the area she caught the scent of a plump rabbit, burrowing in a hole. Slowly the rabbit crept out of the burrow, peeking out looking for predators. Carefully Sandpaw dashed behind a thick tree. The rabbit never noticed her. Never taking her eyes off her prey, the pale ginger she-cat leaped out at the rabbit. Screeching in surprise, the rabbit bounded off into the maze of trees. I need to catch this. The elders will love it. Sandpaw needed to catch this.
Tearing after the apple of her eye, she raced after the fleeting white tail. A thick branch swished in the wind. She chased after the rabbit, finally coming to a stop, cornering it in an abandoned fox den. I've got you now. Sandpaw leaped after the rabbit landing squarely on the rabbit's back. With a quick nip to the neck and an ear-piercing screech, it was dead.
Doubling back to fetch her mouse from earlier, she tore through the trees, a shower of gold and red leaves falling, but to slow to land on her back. If felt so freeing to Sandpaw, racing through the forest she called home.
Her legs pumped faster and faster, her strides growing longer and longer with each step. Around her the trees of the forest blurred into a brown and green blob, her swift feet gracefully avoiding low branches and trees.
Red, brown, orange, yellow, and gold leaves dotted the squishy autumn ground. Slowly the camp came into view, the gray ravine glittering with morning dew and sunshine dappling the ground, a few rays filtering in through the trees. She dashed on through the forest floor, sliding down the slippery ravine. Abruptly she came to a stop, crashing into a boulder. She landed with a plop.
Tentatively testing out each paw, she got back up and ambled into the camp. She then promptly strolled to the elders' den, basking in the warm glow of pride. "Is that rabbit for us?," Patchpelt, her uncle, rasped with a lick of his lips.
"Yes silly!"
"That looks very good."
Carefully she laid it down, leaving it near Dappletail. "Thank you."
With a feeling of self accomplishment, Sandpaw trodded over to the fresh-kill pile grabbing a juicy vole from the big mound.