Munkustrap didn't take long to heal, and he was up and active a lot sooner than Jenny approved of.
With a goal in sight, Munkustrap was determined to become the best hunter there was. Cassandra and Alonzo were also in training, although less motivated than the tabby – preferring to watch rather than actually participate. It was Munkustrap's favourite game to stalk and sneak up on Tugger, frightening him and pinning him, before tickling his sides until he dissolved into high pitched giggles.
The Maine Coon delighted whenever Munkustrap paid him any attention, idolizing his older brother and wanting to be exactly like him. In turn, Munkustrap puffed out with pride whenever Tugger recounted a story to Tumblebrutus and Plato – usually one that Munkustrap had told the kitten previously. It helped keep Munkustrap in check, knowing that there were three tiny kittens who looked up to him, that he had to protect and raise. Their parents would do most of the work, of course, but he got to be a role model.
One morning, almost a week later, Munkustrap woke before the sun had set, feeling absolutely ready for his Hunting Trials. His tail twitched excitedly, fur standing on end as he made his way up to Old Deuteronomy's den, eager to ask permission for the Trials to go ahead.
He found the wise old Tom awake and perched on the edge of his den, seemingly waiting for him.
"Father?" he asked, cocking his head with a small smile, "You knew I was coming?"
"You carry nervous energy. It's not hard to miss…" he smiled widely, inviting his son in for a warm hug, grooming his ears gently, "Are you sure you're ready?"
Munkustrap nodded seriously, "Yes," he breathed, "I can do it. I know I can."
Old Deuteronomy watched his son carefully, realising that Munkustrap didn't just mean the Trials. He meant looking after the Jellicles as well. Old Deuteronomy nodded once, both proud and melancholy. This was the beginning of a new life, and yet Old Deuteronomy was worried for his son. To grow up too soon could be a curse for the young kitten.
"Once the sun has set and the other Jellicles are awake, I will take you into the woods,"
Munkustrap quivered with excitement, eyes bright as he nodded.
The Hunting Trial was the last milestone in a kitten's life, apart from their transition into adulthood. While it could be done at any time by request, a Group Hunt usually occurred before the Jellicle Ball that year, as kittens were not permitted to attend unless they'd successfully passed. While a kitten could ask to complete it at any stage, in their tribe, it had been a lazy occurrence. With over fifty tribe members, there was never a shortage of food, and hunting wasn't a necessity. If the kitten passed early, it was because they were sick of being babysat while the Jellicles danced.
"Gather your littermates and meet at the entrance to the junkyard," Old Deuteronomy dismissed him, and Munkustrap bounded away excitedly.
He practically rolled into the kitten den, knocking into Alonzo and kneading his back, trying to wake him, "Alonzo, Cassandra," he called, and the Abyssinian raised her head, glaring at Munkustrap through sleepy eyes, "Hunting Trials!"
Alonzo groaned, "Not now…" he murmured, rolling away from the tabby.
"Come on…" Munkustrap all but whined, his heart racing. He was so excited and nervous.
"How come I wasn't invited?" Bombalurina asked sleepily from another corner, a smirk on her lips. "I may be younger than you, but that doesn't mean I can't hunt too."
Munkustrap was taken aback. He hadn't even thought about Bombalurina. Quick stepping over to her, he continued his assault, "If you're going to join us, get up!" he laughed.
"Alright, alright. Keep your stripes on…" Alonzo stretched with a great yawn, moaning happily as his limbs popped, "Thanks for the warning, by the way. If I had known it was going to be today, I would've prepared a little…"
"I think you'll be fine…" Cassandra purred, stretching and grooming herself awake.
Alonzo blushed a little, grinning over at her, "I guess that makes two of us then,"
Munkustrap tried not to overhear, secretly pleased about the bond that had formed between the two kittens. He flattened the fur on Bombalurina's back with a few licks until she was laughing, pushing him away, "Okay, okay. I got this."
He laughed happily, bounding from the den and almost barrelling into Jellylorum.
"Someone's excited," she smiled good-naturedly, "Old Deuteronomy is ready when you kittens are. I'll be caring for Tugger and Plato,"
Munkustrap nodded happily, "Oh good. I'd forgotten about the kittens. They're asleep for now, but no doubt they'll wake up. I kind of… made a bit of noise in there…" he said, mentally reminding himself that he'd need to account for all of them in the future.
"I'm sure they won't mind," she smiled, "Are the others ready?"
"Mm, they're still recovering from my rude awakening, but they should be out soon," he smiled, when suddenly he was pounced on.
Cassandra had stayed back to watch, serious as always, but Alonzo and Bombalurina had tackled the grey tabby, and the three of them snowballed down a junk heap and into the middle of the clearing, laughing.
"Good luck, kittens!" Jellylorum called, placing a hand on Cassandra's shoulder as she passed. "Have fun!"
After Cassandra had caught up, and there had been some playful wrestling for the three others, they made their way to the entrance to the junkyard.
Munkustrap took a careful sniff as he crossed the threshold – he'd been learning to keep his senses in the background. To always be aware, but never letting it distract him. So far, it had been working. He'd been living night-to-night without so much stress, able to play and relax easier.
Now, his senses were on high alert, and he approached Old Deuteronomy at the head of their little pack.
"Ready, kittens?" he asked them, making eye contact with each other their little faces. They all nodded firmly, their earlier high spirits now serious and concentrated.
He walked them into the woods, finding a large boulder to stand upon, staring down at the kittens,
"Kittens hunt earlier now than we did when I was young," Old Deuteronomy said softly, catching their attention. "There were no Balls then. Tribes were plenty, and no cat belonged to only one. Jellicles littered the streets and were worshipped, not chased. Our celebrations of each other were yearlong, and when the Jellicle Moon rose we all voted on the cat to ascend…" He purred softly, reminiscing, "But things do not always remain the same. Humans grew strong and fierce, and our tribes were broken by location. Game was scarce, and the tribes forgot one another, forgot that we were once all brothers and sisters under the same Jellicle Moon. They grew savage as well, and our tribes became redundant. Alley cats were born, and Jellicles were domesticated into a house cat. Our legacy has evolved, yet the cat will still hunt. Whether bred on scraps or on tinned food, a cat will still hunt."
The four kittens listened in awe as Old Deuteronomy spoke, hearing a story that had been passed down to every one of the Jellicles in their tribe. It was an ancient story, and Munkustrap had heard bits and pieces before. Despite that, the story kept him engaged. All he wanted to do was hear more.
"Hunting is a vital skill for all cats. In this tribe, we learn to Hunt before we are allowed to Dance at the Jellicle Ball. This is to ensure that if a cat feels the pull of the Jellicle Moon – if they feel their purpose, then they are prepared for the world before they venture out. Today, the four of you will demonstrate your abilities. This is not a competition, either. A Jellicle can feast on a mouse just as well as they could feed on an owl. The question is - What is your purpose? To feed a family or yourself? How long will your game keep? This is what you have to keep in mind when you hunt. You have until the moon reaches its highest point to return with your game..."
Old Deuteronomy's words hung in a suspended silence, and Munkustrap's fur bristled with anticipation, his tail flicking, before Old Deuteronomy gave a nod.
At once, the four Jellicle kittens were off, into the woods. They had never explored there, had never ventured from the junkyard since they arrived. Everything was new, and every new scent captured Munkustrap's attention. Bird, mouse, rabbit, deer, snake- the scents whipped past him as he ran, putting distance between himself and the other kittens.
He glanced at the moon for reference – the tip had just snuck above the top of the junkyard. He had plenty of time.
When all noise of the town and the junkyard had died, Munkustrap slowed to a walk, closing his eyes. His claws unsheathed and he dragged them through the dirt beneath his paws, getting a feel for the ground. He inhaled, drawing it out, taking in the woody, earthy scent, letting the clean air fill his lungs. His ears twitched with a myriad of sounds – the flap of wings, the bubbling of a nearby stream. The tabby was at peace, relaxed, when another sound caught his attention. His left ear slanted sideways to catch the light tread of-
It was a stag.
His eyes snapped open and he skitted away from the huge animal, frightening it in the process. He hissed softly, half-scrambling up a tree as the deer snorted at him, thrusting his antlers in Munkustrap's direction. Adrenaline coursed through the young tom and he tried to look as non-threatening as he could, until the stag slowly moved off. He carefully climbed down from the tree and trying to listen again. He stepped through the forest, ears and nose twitching, trying to latch onto the scent of anything. His chest tightened a little as he couldn't-
There.
A Grey Squirrel, clearly startled by Munkustrap's appearance, stared back at the grey tabby. Munkustrap froze, but other than that, he didn't know what to do. He'd never tried capturing prey that had already seen him…but he understood the basic concept. If he launched himself at the squirrel, it would run and be out of sight before he even got his hind paws off the ground. Munkustrap didn't dare breathe, trying to come up with some kind of plan.
Amazingly… Munkustrap didn't have to. As he was thinking, he kept both eyes locked on the squirrel, who slowly, slowly relaxed. His nose twitched, smelling, and his eyes shifted from Munkustrap to the hefty acorn he had found. His head went back down to forage, and Munkustrap's plan appeared right in front of him. He watched the squirrel shift, no longer wary of Munkustrap as he became more interested in his food. Seizing the opportunity, Munkustrap darted behind a tree.
He hadn't heard the sound of scrambling, and as he poked his head around the tree, he found his prey still happily digging away, if not only slightly more tense than he was before. Munkustrap grinned in delight. This was easy. He silently moved up the tree, balancing perfectly as he ran along a branch, eyes always on the squirrel in case he made chase. He leapt across several branches, keeping his paws light, careful not to dislodge any bark, until he was directly above the squirrel.
Breathing quietly, he scaled down the tree, on the opposite side to the squirrel, and crawled on his belly into the heavy bush.
The mighty hunter had cornered his prey…
He bared his teeth, stepping from one foot to the other to make sure he was balanced… and then pounced!
Claws outstretched, he slammed into the unassuming squirrel, sinking teeth into fuzz and using his claws to hold the beast steady. Within moments, the grey mammal went limp, and an overwhelming sense of pride took over Munkustrap's body as he licked the blood from his claws. He let out an excited laugh, gazing down at the squirrel with a satisfied grin.
He was a Hunter.
He paraded around the squirrel for a moment, nipping it gently and shaking it between his teeth to ensure it was dead, before scooping it up carrying it. He stepped a few paces, before his eyes widened.
He had no idea where he was.
In dismay, Munkustrap dropped the squirrel and inhaled deeply, trying to pick up the scent of the Jellicles – of the junkyard, of town? There was nothing except the overwhelming woods, the earthy smell that Munkustrap had loved, but was now downright frightening.
How far had he walked before he found the squirrel?
His chest tightened again in anxiety, and he scooped up his prey back up before choosing the tallest tree, trying to get his bearings.
He clung onto the bark, trying to identify just where he was, when he remembered the moon. He had glanced at it when he left to find out how much time he had! Stomach fluttering excitedly, he looked for it again – it was halfway up now – and breathed a sigh of relief. If he headed straight for it, it would put him along the town line where the junkyard was located.
Now that he wasn't nervous, Munkustrap took his time to enjoy the woods. He found a stream and took a long drink, basking in the moonlight. The woods were quite nice, he decided. It would be a good place to escape from the Junkyard every once in a while… and he wouldn't mind becoming a hunter for the tribe either...and maybe even taking down a deer?
He walked a long way – surprised at how far he had come – until the trees started to thin and the scents of the Junkyard hit him sharply. As he breathed, he realised he had the scent all along, but the woods were overpowering. He made a note to himself to go out more often – to become familiar with both until he could balance them.
Old Deuteronomy came into view and Munkustrap picked up his pace, almost smug as he dropped the squirrel at the wise leader's feet, bowing low. The old tom couldn't help the smile on his face as he gazed down at his son, proud and elated that it had barely taken him an hour to complete his hunt.
"Welcome back. I see you found your way?"
Munkustrap smiled sheepishly, "By the help of the moon, I did."
Old Deuteronomy smiled knowingly, "You did well," he nodded, gazing at the dead squirrel at his feet, "A clean kill, too."
Munkustrap puffed out proudly, "Am I the first one back?" he asked softly, and Old Deuteronomy nodded, "What now?"
"Now..?" Old Deuteronomy smiled, "Now… we wait."
A/N: Just a very quick note - thank you so, so much to everyone who has reviewed and read. I can't access them and reply because FFN is having some difficulties matching the reviews. Or something. But thank you! I'm so glad the fandom is still alive and well after so much time, and I'll reply to you all individually once FFN gets its act together... 3
This family tree is a little weird, and almost cringeworthy sometimes. I've since revised it but unfortunately I was way too far into the story to change it up. So... this isn't my headcannon family tree, so just embrace the weirdness :)