The Daughter of Ninetails

Chapter 1

There were memories. She wasn't like normal Ninetales. She didn't know her father, and when she was born, she had ten tails instead of nine. So her mother,Ninetails, named her Tentails.

Right when she could eat meat, her mother put her away in a large room for safe keeping. She could only leave it when her mother said so. When she could, she wandered about, or went to Toby.....

No. She couldn't think about him. That was the past, this was the future. Her mother taught her the Celestial Brush techniques. She could do all of them, except Sun and Moon. Those weren't allowed. Now that she thought of it, Rejuvenation and Catwalk weren't, either. They weren't needed. So 9 techniques, 10 tails. She didn't know what to do with the tenth tail. Maybe it was for some other use.

Just then, she woke up. It was sunrise, and she was washed up on shore. She sat up and quickly ran to find a hiding place, before anyone could see her. She found a cave and sat in it. She planned to stay awake, but exhaustion washed over her, and she fell asleep.

Now she had dreams. Horrible dreams. Of her dad leaving them, the stronghold disappearing, Toby, her mother.....

No. She woke up with a start. I won't think of that. She was interrupted by her stomach. It growled noisily. She hadn't eaten since dusk. She peeked outside. It was dark out. Safe now to hunt. To hunt. Her mother didn't really teach her to hunt, only to fight. But she would try.

She went out and sniffed the air. She smelled deer. Westward. She crept in that direction until she spotted it. A large buck, sleeping. Okay, she thought to herself, this will just be like tracking an enemy. I need to be downwind.... good, I am. Now I need to be very quiet, and creep forward slowly...... when I am close enough, I...... pounce! She sprang forward, landing her claws on the buck's neck. The buck reared up in surprise and tried to run, but she finished him with one clean bite on the throat. The buck went limp.

She carried him back to her cave and ate him. Then she settled down for a nap. But she suddenly heard a squeak beneath her. It was a large rabbit, trying to settle down to sleep in her cave. She squashed it when she plopped down. It was dead.

I'll save it for later, she thought. Then with a yawn, she fell into a deep sleep.