Dawn Rising

☾ A L M A

Mauna, Mischief and Alma had travelled for two days. Today was their third day travelling, and Mauna had said that they were close to the halfway point.

Alma's hunting skills had increased greatly since Mauna had come; every day, she would practice different hunting techniques with Mauna, learn different ways to find prey and catch it. She had never felt more confident in her abilities, other than her first catch as a cub. But her catch as a cub had been a lucky one, and since then, she had always struggled to find her own food. Now, however, her catches weren't feeble or lucky; now, they were skillful and developed.

All thanks to Mauna.

Alma glanced at the elderly, amber-brown she-bear as she listened to Mischief ramble on about a bird she had spotted. Although she couldn't add anything to the conversation, for she was holding Mischief's stick in her mouth, she admired Mauna. The she-bear had truly been a miracle, a flickering light in the darkness that had engulfed Alma in her somber times. Her flickering light had then alighted another light- Mischief's- then Alma's light started glowing, for the first time in a long, long time.

And the weight that Alma had felt when she was alone with Mischief and Starry- that weight had also lifted now that it was shared with Mauna. A true miracle, Alma thought as she gazed at Mauna.

Alma's stomach started rumbling suddenly, a sound like rocks tumbling to the ground. Mauna cast her an amusing glance. "I see someone's hungry," she purred. For a moment, she looked thoughtful. Then she looked back at Alma. "Today, I want you to catch your prey yourself."

Alma was startled, and her eyes widened. "But," she argued. "I can't. I'm not- I'm not good at catching prey." In the moment, she had completely forgotten her earlier confidence, and instead started to panic. What if I fail? If I fail, Mauna will be so disappointed.

"I've taught you a lot," Mauna said, her voice firm. "And all those days we've hunted together, you hunted beautifully. I believe in you."

"Me, too," Mischief added shyly. "I think you can do it."

Alma stared at her cub, feeling disheartened. If she failed in front of her, she would look like a fool. But then she felt a surge of new confidence. I can do it. I know I can do it. Mauna's trained me for long enough.

She nodded briskly and said firmly, "I'll get some prey for all of us. A lot of prey. I will bring back prey!"

"That's the spirit!" Mauna growled. Mischief bounced up and down by her side in excitement.

Alma bounded away, enlightened by Mischief and Mauna's encouragement. I can do it. I will do it, I will do it, I will do it. Soon, she reached a rocky outcropping, a pile of boulders heaped together. She sniffed the air and listened for a while, but nothing emerged, so she moved on. She ambled along the mountain, making sure to keep her pawsteps silent, avoiding twigs and patches of skittering pebbles. A few moments after, while she walked, Alma came to a small mountain ridge. A large, flat boulder jutted out of its side, and- Alma gasped.

There was a goat on the rock. A mountain goat. One of the rare feasts the mountains could offer.

Alma's mouth watered at the thought of digging into the goat's tough, rich hide. If she brought that back to Mischief and Mauna, she would truly prove herself. She would finally believe in herself. Suddenly, Alma knew that she had to bring back this goat. She had to.

Mauna's hunting instructions raced through her mind in blurry zig zags as Alma crept toward the goat. She made sure she was hidden behind ridge, out of the goat's line of sight, and that she was downwind, so that the goat wouldn't catch her smell.