Snow

Chapter 2

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Mother padded away, glanced back at us, and mewed, "Stay there."

I looked around at the bushes and trees. Frost looked at me. I looked at her. We both sniffed around the bushes and trees and we relieved ourselves beside some bushes, marking it like Mother taught us to.

I explored a little more around our nest, which was made of fern and moss. Frost followed me, and investigated farther to a tree that was closer to the houses.

Suddenly, a sharp mew made us both turn around, only to see Mother standing back at the nest, her eyes lit with sudden flames.

"Get back here!" Mother hissed. Frost and I glanced at each other, thinking we were in big trouble, and trudged over to Mother.

"You should not do that again without my consent! Especially not so close to the houses, understand?" Mother snapped.

Frost and I nodded. "We understand..." We both muttered. I glanced at Frost. "We were just curious, though..."

"I don't care! You should follow my orders and stay in your nest!!! A human could have come from their houses and saw you, and they would show no mercy in taking you away!" As Mother said that, her eyes clouded.

We were a lot more wary from that day on. Sure, Mother was very strict a lot of times, but I can tell she used to be so gentle and kind, probably before our father's disappearance.

Mother left us sometimes to go hunt prey, and Frost and I started to eat prey too, when we grew older. Sometimes, we were starving, and Mother brought other food, crow-food, it smelled like.

Mother told us it was the only food she could find, and it was the food that cats that live with humans eat.

One day, Mother got up to hunt, when she paused and looked at us. "It's time I taught you two how to hunt," she meowed. "Follow me."

Frost and I happily padded behind Mother. We were excited to finally meet some of the other creatures and learn how to hunt!

Mother taught us how to do a hunter's crouch and how to give the killing bite. We practiced until we got it right. If we didn't, we would be up all morning and night until we got it, which we did.

I caught a small squirrel that day, and Frost caught a small vole that day. We ate our own prey, as did Mother.

I yawned, tired after so much training, and right now, more than anything, I just wanted to sleep. I snuggled in beside the warmth of my sister and Mother. I was lucky to be in such warmth those days.