"Go away, Eagle!" Night hissed. "I don't want to play!"
Three moons had passed, Bird that Nests in the Tree had given birth to two kits. Eagle that Saws in the Sky would not stop mooning over Night. Eagle's sister, Feather that Grows on Bird, wouldn't stop mooning over Hawk.
"But I want to play!" Eagle mewed.
"Go play with Hawk, Hare and Feather, then," Night meowed. "I want to sleep."
"They don't want to play. They're just licking each other!"
"What's wrong with licking?" Hawk asked. "We're getting the bits that we can't reach for each other."
"That is boring! I want to play with Night."
"Well, I don't want to play with you," Night meowed. "I want to sleep!"
Night went back to the nest she shared with Blue, Hare and Hawk. She closed her eyes and fell asleep. In five moons she would be a to-be.
She wanted to be a prey-hunter's to-be. There was only one prey-hunter without a to-be, expect her mother who a prey-hunter before she became a kit-mother. Night knew that Hawk wanted to be a cave-guard, like their father.
Night wanted to know who her father was but she could not see the Tribe of Endless Hunting. She did not know what Hare wanted to be but if Night was to be a prey-hunter, Hare was to be a cave-guard.
. . .
A moon had passed and Night was getting used to Eagle and Feather. Hawk was getting bigger every day and was now stronger then all the other kits put together! Feather was mooning over Hawk even more than she would normally.
Hawk doesn't even know that Feather likes him! Night thought. I know that Eagle likes me, Hawk should know that Feather likes him!
Night put her thoughts away from that and changed it to something great. In four moons she would be a to-be! Night wondered if Stoneteller would make her the to-be of a cave-guard or the to-be of a prey-hunter.
"Night! Night! Night!" Hawk mewed. "Can you hear me, Night?"
"What- sorry, I was thinking," Night mewed back. "What were you saying?"
"Do you want to play Hare Hopper?"
"Yes."
"OK, let's play!"
Hawk crouched down and Hare hopped over him. After Hare, Feather hopped over him, then Eagle. Finally Night hopped over Hawk. Hawk hopped over the rest of the, one at a time. They kept hopping over each other till they were in the main part of the cave.
"We're allowed to be here, right?" Eagle asked.
"I think so," Night answered. "But we should go back. What if Fang is still angry at Hawk?"
"Yeah, your right."
When they got back to their part of the cave, Blue had some caught-prey for her kits.
"Hare, Night and Hawk, you can come and eat some caught-prey," Blue mewed. "It's a hare, you're favourite."
"Did you go hunting?" Hare asked.
"I wanted to but Stoneteller told me that my job is to be a kit-mother till you are to-bes."
"How does Stoneteller decide what we are going to be?" asked Hawk.
"The Tribe of Endless Hunting sends her signs that tell her what we are meant to be."
"I'm hungry," Night meowed. "Can we eat that hare now?"
"Yes."
Night went up to the dead hare, she sunk her teeth into it. She chewed the hare, it tasted juicy as it ran down her throat. She could tell Hawk was enjoying it more than she was. Night did not know if Hare was fine with eating a hare.
Hare looked at Night. "Night, do you like hare?"
"Yes, Hare, hare is delicious. It might be you name but it isn't you."
"I guess you are right."
"Don't think about it as if you are eating yourself. Think of it as eating prey."
"I guess so."
"Now, do you know how many moons till we are to-bes?"
"Four, right?"
"I think so." Night turned to Blue. "Blue, how much longer till Hawk, Hare and I are to-bes?"
"Four moons."
"You were right, Hare. I can't wait!"
"I hope I'm a prey-hunter's to-be!" Hare mewed. "Moon is the only prey-hunter without a to-be."
"I want to be a prey-hunter, though."
"Stoneteller has spoken with the Tribe with Endless Hunting and they have told her. She will tell you when you're a to-be," Blue meowed. "One of you will be a prey-hunter, I think."
"Well, if Stoneteller has guidance from the Tribe of Endless Hunting, she must know what is best for us kits," Hare mewed. "I would be fine being a cave-guard."
