Post by Taxx on Sept 30, 2020 6:38:33 GMT
Wind Moon Day 5
My shadow's the only one that walks beside me
Last had never ventured so far from Twolegplace before. But hunting had been poor, as usual, and for some reason the Twolegs he usually got food from had stopped answering his yowls, the scent around their den growing staler by the day. He'd remembered that one tom mentioning that he typically hunted the woods, and hunger had driven Last to doing what he might not have normally. He'd been a bit surprised to find that being under the trees felt... comforting. The shade and the thick shelter of the trees made him feel protected, and he'd had more luck than he'd ever had in the Twolegplace: the plentiful cover made it easy for him to sneak up on prey, even with the strong wind. Even that seemed to help, by muffling his steps and keeping his scent from alerting his prey.
Two mice, caught in quick succession, filled his empty belly, and after a quick nap he decided not to return to the Twolegplace just yet. For once, he didn't feel the need to rush back to that small crack in the hard stone that was his den. Not when he felt more like he belonged here so much more. Rearing up against one tree, Last scored the tough bark with his claws, stretching to his full height as he raked the trunk, leaving a trace of his scent behind; as he dropped to his paws he rubbed his cheek against the tree and then padded on.
The scent of water caught his attention and he followed it, ears flicking as he heard the quiet bubble, and he trotted toward it. The sight of the water, clean, clear and not tainted with any foul scents as was common in Twolegplace was just one more plus for the tom, and he was all too happy to crouch down and take a drink of the cool water.
He'd barely begun, however, when the bushes behind him rustled, and the strong scent washed over him- one he'd never scented before, although it was familiar to the dog scent he was used to. He spun around and stared at the bright ginger dog-thing that stepped from the trees, its golden gaze fixed on him, and in a moment he had puffed himself up, back arched with a hiss spilling from his jaws. His heart was beating fast, fear sending his pelt rippling down his spine. He'd been stupid- he hadn't even considered that there might be anything here that might be dangerous, and now he was face to face with one. Maybe if he was fast enough he could climb a tree?
... No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than the dog-thing sprang at him, and Last let out a screech as he met it head-on, lashing out with both front paws in a frantic effort to defend himself.
Last
Loner
Riley