The wind brushed softly against the tall grass, bringing with it the gentle warmth of newleaf. A fly buzzed by her ear and she flicked it, careful not to disturb her prey. Squishing herself against the chilled dirt, she stared unblinking ahead.

There in front of her sat a fat chipmunk stuffing some seeds into his cheeks. She could see his chest rising and falling rapidly with every breath and heartbeat. It would be over soon.

Digging her claws into the soil, she readied her hindquarters for the kill.

Like a feather, she landed gracefully onto the chipmunk and killed it with a swift bite to the neck. Bringing her head to the heavens, she watched as the sun slowly sank behind the mountains in the distance, bathing the fields in a golden glow.

"Thank you, Felsky, for this prey," she murmured with a purr, satisfied.

Picking up the morsel, she began to head back to her barn. She lived alone on the edge of Clan territory, but that was how she liked it. She didn't have to worry about having another mouth to feed; having to watch over someone else. Just herself.

Skirting under the overhang from the small opening in the side of the barn, she made her way into the musky warmth of her current haven. Setting her prey down next to her nest, she bent her head and tucked her paws in to take the first bite…

A rustling sound met her ears and she jumped. An intruder? "Who's there?" she demanded, quickly hiding her prey underneath her nest. The scent of her prey must've been clogging her glands.

A small black and white head poked out from a hay stack, centered around bright green eyes. A heartbeat passed and they went back into hiding.

A kit? She blinked and tilted her head in concern. What would a kit be doing out here on their own?

"Please don't hurt me," a small voice mewed, still hidden behind their cover.

She padded cautiously towards the kit, her hackles still lifted. "What are you doing out here?"

The head poked out again but quickly retreated as soon as they saw the loner was closer. "I-I just… I haven't eaten in a while…"

Rounding the corner, she finally got a good look at the kit. The kit squeaked in surprise, cowering farther back into the bale, their tail between their legs. It was a female, and she was mostly white with black splotches. Her bright green eyes were intense, full of fear and curiosity.

Somewhat annoyed by her interruption, the loner sighed deeply. "Relax, I won't hurt you."

"P-promise?" The kit was trembling.

"Swear on Felsky," she answered, raising her tail.

The kit seemed to relax a little, curiosity getting the better of her. "Felsky? Who's that?"

The loner sat, wrapping her tail around her paws. "Felsky is the God we worship. They watch over us from the stars above, and send signs and omens to the ones who can interpret them."

The kitten's eyes grew big as she relaxed even more. "Wow!" she breathed. "That's so cool!" She padded up to the loner and sniffed at her tail cautiously. "You smell nice. What's your name?"

Blinking in amusement, the loner poked the kitten with her tail playfully. "My name is Crystal."

"What a pretty name!" the kitten mewed. Her tail shot straight into the air. "Mine's Cow. My mommy told me I look just like them; the animals outside the barn!"

Concerned, Crystal tilted her head. "And where's your mommy now?"

Suddenly the kit's tail drooped and she looked away. "She's gone now… Has been for a while."

With a pang, Crystal was suddenly reminded of her own comeuppance, having to grow up alone since her parents had died. With a sad smile, she wrapped her tail protectively around the kitten. "Say, let's get that tummy full, and we can talk more about Felsky, sound good?"

Woes forgotten, Cow blinked up at her with her round, curious green eyes. "Okay!"

With a slight chuckle, she began back to her nest, Cow following closely behind her.

Maybe being with someone wasn't so bad after all.