Quote:
Originally Posted by BEAR.
He had stayed close, not enough to disrupt her hunt but enough to where if he was needed, intervening would be no issue. Safety was always his number one priority - who knew what dangers lurked just out of sight?
Thankfully, things went without a hitch and Wolfhive's eyes gleamed with pride at Mallowpaw. "You did it! I knew you could." He wasn't sure if it was going to be the first attempt, but it was! "Told you, you were a natural." The leaf practice - he didn't know if it actually helped or not, but he hoped it did even if just a little.
Wolfhive reached over to give her a happy bop, a purr rumbling in his throat. "Let's bury this - just a shallow hole works, we just don't want a predator finding it while we're hunting. I think you got the gist of how hunting works, now all it takes is practicing it 'til you're a pro." In his opinion, Mallowpaw wouldn't have a problem with it - she was already well on her way to mastery. (and had a better start than he ever did!)
A glance up through the trees gave him a general idea of the sun's position. "You feeling up for going 'til the sun passes overhead? See what else we can get?"
[ @ kittycatburmise ] |
Mallowpaw
61/100
Wolfhive's praise made the pride in her chest expand, filling her body with a warm feeling. She had done it. She had caught prey. She had made Wolfhive proud.
Wolfhive told Mallowpaw to bury the mouse, and bury it she did, frowning as the dirt she'd kicked showered over it. This must be why she sometimes found flecks of dirt on her prey.
Then Wolfhive told her to continue hunting until sunhigh. With a quick glance up to see the sun's position in the sky, Mallowpaw was off, scenting the air for prey as she padded through the trees. Soon enough she smelled another mouse. Pinpointing it in a clump of grass, Mallowpaw slipped into a hunter's crouch and started to stalk it. But this time luck wasn't on her side, as before she was close enough to pounce, the mouse spotted her. It ran, and she chased after it, but her stomach was still burning from the crouch and the mouse ran under a bush and disappeared.
Disappointed, Mallowpaw stared after it for a moment, tears pricking her eyes.
You're being dramatic, she scolded herself.
Everyone misses prey sometimes. Even Wolfhive does. She couldn't mope, otherwise she wouldn't catch any more prey. Swallowing, Mallowpaw turned away and set off again.
Eventually another scent wafted towards her- a vole. She had seen them on the fresh-kill pile before; they seemed similar enough to mice. So Mallowpaw dropped again into the hunting crouch- it still felt clunky, and her muscles were not liking it- and started to stalk. Nerves swirled in her stomach after the last failure. She had to get this, or she might not get another opportunity. She had a bit of time before sunhigh, but there was still a good chance she wouldn't find any more prey. Steeling herself, Mallowpaw narrowed her eyes at the vole and focused on her crouch. She had to do this right.
Thankfully the vole didn't spot her, and Mallowpaw was soon in pouncing range. She leapt, her paws landing off-centre of the vole's back. It was still a catch, though, and Mallowpaw bit down on the back of its neck. The taste of blood filled her mouth and the vole went limp.
Burying it, Mallowpaw went off again, but when sunhigh approached and she hadn't scented anything, she retraced her steps to where the vole was and dug it up. Carrying it in her jaws, she padded over to the meeting spot and waited for Wolfhive's reaction. She hoped the vole would be enough, that he hadn't wanted her to catch more.
(Very late, but here you go)