Spirit's Journey

CHAPTER 13- Spirit: Preying

Midnight padded out from the shadows of the woods with her last load of prey. She'd caught a bluebird, sparrow, two mice and three squirrels. Two of them were bigger than her.

The kitten had been hunting all night, and now looked exhausted to the bone.

I'd thought I would be out hunting for everyone until dawn but there had been no need, since the kit had tremendous hunting skills and this forest was rich with unhunted prey. The foxes must have moved on, because there'd been no scent of them after the wounded rabbit was buried.

I had grown tired of watching Midnight hunt and had went back to the clearing, catching up to her and telling her I'd just traveled back to say that she should be headed to camp soon.

On my way home I'd caught a rabbit and a mouse, and my other squirrel was added, the one that I had caught as an example for Midnight earlier.

Hannah had taken a short nap while we were out, but was awake now, and raised her head as Midnight padded in with prey stuffed in her jaws. She dropped one of the squirrels, then nudged it next to Diamond in the begging of a pile.

After I reminded Hannah that she had been left because she was supposed to be watching our makeshift camp as well as Diamond, she mentioned the prey. Instead of feeling guilty about falling asleep, Hannah seemed more excited about the heap rising beside Diamond.

"Wow, that may be your best load yet. We're gonna eat good tonight! Great job."

I uncomfortably noticed how she turned her head away from Midnight completely, and looked up only at me with enthusiasm.

"Midnight caught most of it. You can go fetch the rest," I advised her.

Diamond was asleep, covered up with Hannah's tail to keep warm, and to my joy was doing just fine despite the light chill. That might only be because Hannah was keeping her warm, but that was okay with me because it was what we were here for.

Fallan hadn't came back yet, so that would make many hours now, so much time that I'd started to worry over her extended absence.

I'd probably have to go find the reckless cheetah sooner or later, but now I felt it was priority to feed everyone that had bothered to try and do what they were supposed to.

"Spirit," I peered forward and then around me, only realized the voice was coming from below me when Midnight flicked her tail upwards.

"Yes?" I asked Midnight, who was looking up at me shyly.

"Thank you for teaching me," Midnight said as she sat down beside me.

"Yes, er.. Welcome. You caught much prey tonight," I said sitting up.

"I'd say you've proven yourself to be very helpful tonight. You've more than earned a spot in this pride. Come, sit and eat something. You can sleep in my nest, if you like." I added on with a kinder tone rather than striaght-forward.

Midnight stared at me for a moment, then gave a small smile and moved into my nest. She laid down while sighing in exhaustion. And the kit has every right to be. She had said she was going to catch the whole forest, and I couldn't help cheerfully admiring the way that she seemingly had.

This little kit would be capable of great things when she grew up. She already was, actually. She was persistent, polite, respectful, hard-working and a great listener. All of the things that Hannah and Fallan were not.

One thing was for sure, though, she'd be a miraculous hunter when she got bigger, with those stealth skills. She had caught prey tonight that was twice her size!