Spirit's Journey

CHAPTER 28- Hannah: Spirit Has Temper Issues

"What are you doing?" I asked as Storm came up by my shoulder, crouching among the reeds with me.

With a sideways glance at him, I saw that he wasn't even paying attention to me- his green eyes, darker than my own, were focused on a strong young male boar with large tusks. I noticed the tom's muscles ripple under his pelt as he crept forward slowly, and looked away.

Did he not hear what Spirit had just told him to do?

Okay, whatever.

He could face the blue-eyed cheetah's wrath after he caused us to fail in catching this prey.

"I'm going for something that will feed us more," and with that he peeled away from me with those parting words, he began pacing torwards the male boar till he broke into a run.

Was he crazy? He would never catch that thing! It was too big!

"You idiot!" I heard an angry hiss from Spirit and came to a stop, turning and walking over to her because my job was now done, since he's ushered all the boars away.

So if Storm wanted to break his neck trying to catch that thing then he could, and he could do it by himself.

"He's nuts, trying to catch something that large; it's going to kick him right in the face," I meowed matter-of-factly.

"Or rip him open with it's tusks, hopefully," snarled Spirit in reply, her blue eyes blazing.

I was slightly taken aback by her harshness, and sat down on my haunches. Jeez, she didn't have to be so mean. At least, not out loud.

Quietly observing Storm's movements, I watched as he continued to advance on the boar, slowly closing the gap between him and the animal.

Instead of going up behind the prey, he went beside it as it galloped away, and I was a suprised that it didn't turn and fight. Too stupid to know it's own power, I guessed.

Then, taking an impressive leap, he jumped on top of the pig and fastened in his claws.

Wow. He was pretty good, and had some glinting thorns in those toes!

I started to admire his technique as he leaned down before the boar could throw him off and sunk his teeth into it's neck, killing it within a few moments.

Any time me and Spirit hunted bigger animals, they took a minute or two to kill; but that must've been because his jaws were larger. And bigger teeth, I thought. He was such a weird- looking cheetah. Like, I hadn't even known that cheetahs could be black up until yesterday.

"Wow, that was amazing!" I yowled out to him.

He flicked his tail with a smile, and signaled me over. I got up before he asked the question: "Wanna help me carry it back?"

"Sure!" And we both grabbed a side of the catch and began to drag the boar back.

Dang... How could he have done that so easily? He sure was talented.

"That was smart, I have to admit." I looked up at his broad face while muttering around the prey. He was tall, like Spirit.

"I mean, going up beside it instead of behind. You were avoiding it's legs, weren't you?"

"Yeah." He blinked at me disbelievingly, kind of as if I were stupid to not know that, but I couldn't be sure. Huh?

"What?"

"Well... usually you're so quiet. I mean, except for that calico kitten."

"Oh... yeah." I shuffled my paws in embarrassment, almost tripping over them.