The blades of the sun

Chapter 4

Fox padded through the thick undergrowth. For moons, she had wandered around the forest alone, occasionally passing ways with other loners. She had learned how to fight and hunt by watching over cats, she had never gone hungry in days. Her belly started to grumble and she knew she should get on with her hunting.

 Sniffing the air she caught a scent of a robin and a mouse, that would surely fill her empty belly. The robin was pecking at the ground searching for worms and Fox crouched down. She carefully studied her target and watched the red and white creature hop around. She pressed her paws lightly to the ground and then pounced, spraying the maple colored leaves on the ground. The robin shrieked in alarm and took off, but Fox was quicker. She smacked it to the ground with her paws and sank her teeth into its throat, Fox let her tail swish with triumph. She hid her catch under a red maple bush and set off to find the mouse. 

Its trail led her to a small tunnel and she blindly went into it. She trod carefully through the underground and she started to hear squeaks echo through the tunnel. She crouched as she heard a scuffle of footsteps nearby and she could see a faint outline of a mouse. She silently stalked the little creature and trashed out her paw at its body. It fell to the ground and she dug her sharp fangs into its body. She padded out of the tunnel and narrowed her eyes at the gleaming sunlight. She carried the dead creature to where she had left her Robin, but she smelt something else nearby her catch. She crouched as she saw the shadow of two cats, instantly she smelt two toms, one was fully grown while the other was around her age.

" Look Tundrastar, some cat left a robin in this bush!" The young tom called to the older tom. Rising a little, Fox could make out a ginger tom and a white tom. The white tom had a scar on his eye trailing all the way down to his back.

" What should we do with it Tawnypaw?" Tundrastar asked the young ginger tom. Fox's fur bristled, she would not let them take her prey! She let her hackles rise and she crept up to them. She put her mouse down and got ready to confront the two toms.

" If you must know, that prey belongs to me." Fox hissed at the two cats. The two toms span around, Tawnypaws eyes glinted with panic while Tundrastars were icy and calm. Fox felt calm despite the fear rising in her chest if there was a fight she didn't think she could win it. Tawnypaw tensed and Fox saw him get ready to leap at her. To her surprise, Tundrastar blocked his path.

" It's just a robin Tawnypaw, don't waste your breath. You can keep the robin, but if I find you on my territory again, I will move you out by force." Tundraclaw warned and nodded to Tawnypaw. Obediently, Tawnypaw followed. Fox watched as they disappeared through the undergrowth. I guess I could find some other place to hunt... Fox thought to herself.

She ate her Robin and mouse in a  few bites and her belly felt filled and fit to travel. She raced her shadow through flowers and grass and only stopped to catch her breath. She stopped as she found a bush, covered in red berries. The red berries would surely camouflage her pelt. She went underneath the bush and curled up. Tomorrow I'll make a nest here, this will be my territory.