Settle down… I wish. My paws scraped the moss and humus on the ground. Birds soared from tree to tree, taunting us. They, in flight, were every bit superior to our paws and claws, dashing in and out of our outstretched jaws. Every layer had a layer above. Perhaps insects and plants were the lowest layers. Mice and herbivores were next. We were the carnivores, along with foxes and dogs.
I snorted at the idea of being in the same layer as dogs. Intellect-wise, dogs would be on the lowest layer there is. If they were in it at all. I knew life was unfair. Only the ones who wouldn't want would get. Like the sun, or the trees. The sun is the highest of all, with a set path in the sky, illuminating or threatening to change the sky.
Twolegs. The word echoed in my head. I had forgotten all about them. They seem to know when the sun would go up or down… do they control it? They could topple trees with a slight flick of their pets… their monsters. They care nothing about us.
In the midst of my thoughts, I stared ahead. Trees paved my paw's set path, and more to come and go. A whisper of wind brushed through the leaves…
Raccoon interrupted my careless wandering and meowed, "Do you want to stop to hunt, now?"
I glanced at Raccoon and saw her ribs peeking out ever so slightly. I nodded. Flicking my tail, I led my group under a large bush. Fogkit was about to go out, but I called to her, "Wait."
She turned back, eyes doubtful. I nodded and Fogkit crept up slowly to me. I meowed to her teasingly, "Get up, mousebrain. Teach us how to hunt."
Raccoon raised an eyebrow and Fogkit looked thoroughly shocked. She stuttered, "I-I-I-"
"Yes?" I snapped.
Fogkit bent her head down and said, "We'll do it outside."
I followed her out of the bush's spreading branches and crouched down, swishing my tail. Raccoon followed us, tail twitching nervously, or rather, excitedly.
Fogkit POV
My heart was pounding. How will I teach Dandy and Raccoon? Why were they suddenly acting so nice? I looked at them with slanted eyes. Dandy's clear blue eyes were curious and truthful. Raccoon was just as surprised as me.
Maybe… Dandy was planning to kill me, so they wouldn't need me to hunt. No, she wasn't like that, she loves hurting. Now, fewer claws sunk into my fur, though, and my scratches began to heal. I licked my sore shoulder and crept outside.
The sun was shining, and dark green grass swayed under my paws. Daisies and butterflies splashed around the scene, and I took a heartbeat to enjoy it, before Dandy told me to hurry up.
The grass was slightly damp with dew under my paws. I felt the sunlight hitting my fur, and I smiled very slightly. My old training from my dishonorable mentors flooded me again, and I remembered what it was like…
My paws were silent on the floor, my haunches in a smooth stalk. My forelegs rippled with muscle, and every move was on purpose… almost. A wren was pecking at a seed wedged in the ground. I felt a burning gaze scorching my back. Fox was watching me. A breeze carried the birds scent to me, perfect. The breeze also carried a feather to my nose, and it twitched. I saw Fox narrow his eyes and flex his claws behind me. My nose twitched more.
I squeezed my eyes shut and watchooo! Before the wren flew away, Fox was already at my throat. Claws and teeth sunk into my back and my ears were being ripped apart. I screeched in pain as his teeth took my tail and pulled it towards him. My claws tore up grass and Fox Jr., Storm and Dandy came to help their father.
Storm slid out her claws and sunk them into my flank. Fox Jr. clawed the other side over and over again on the same spot, and sunk his fangs into the bloody raw flesh. Dandy –Dandy!-unsheathed her claws and slowly drew them across my cheek. I winced. Suddenly at full force, her claws ripped out a slither of my skin and she nosed the red wound. I screamed and writhed around, and Fox growled, "Okay. Get off."
Dandy didn't without giving my nose one last scar. She spat at my face and Fox commanded me, "Okay, try again."
I slowly slid into the same smooth crouch, and beckoned with my tail for Dandy and Raccoon to do the same. I watched them carefully. Dandy's crouch was almost perfect, her balance was too centered on her fore paws. Her golden tail twitched, and she slid back up, asking me, "Was that okay?"
I purred, which was something I hadn't done for a veeery long time, "Good job. Try putting your weight more evenly on your paws, though."
Suddenly I froze. I waited for Dandy's reaction to me telling her what to do. She just twitched her ears irritably and tried again, smoothing out her balance. I turned to Raccoon. Raccoon's haunches were too high up in the air, and she didn't put her pads down quietly enough.
She stalked up to a blade of grass, her tail straight up in the air. A butterfly was seated on the grass, and her tail shadow fell on it, causing the insect to flutter away. Raccoon blinked twice in confusion, then looked at her tail, hissing in frustration. I meowed, "Good job, except for your tail part."
Raccoon looked at me and I cringed slightly. She nodded and asked, "Anything else?"
Nobody has ever talked to me that way, so I decided to take a chance. I carefully said, ready to stop at any negative reaction, "Um, your haunches are a wee too high, and um, try putting your paws down lightly."
Raccoon looked at me steadily and tried again. Her paws were gliding on the soil, now, and her haunches were almost perfect. Her tail twitched a little, and Raccoon landed squarely on a daisy.
Suddenly, somebody crashed into my back, knocking me off balance. Raccoon's eyes flickered dangerously as she eyed the cat behind me. I wrenched my head around, and saw a glint of dark fur.
Who should that be? I wonder… Maybe a clan cat, like Cinnamonpool suggested, or one of the rouges…