Sharptongue's Story

This is a story inspired by my cat. It takes place in Texas most of the time, and some of these things actually happened to my cat. Yes, my cat is a bit snobby and full of herself. I hope you enjoy it. Rainfire

-5 years before-
I followed my master out the door. I cried out to her, but she didn't seem to notice. She and the big female housefolk climed into a small black monster and drove off. I turned to go back home, but found that the big male housefolk had closed the door!! How was a lowly kit going to survive in this big world? I turned and ran. Into the trees, through the bushes, brambles tearing at my beautiful seal-point, longhaired fur. I ran faster and faster, deeper into the woods. The dark closed in and I huddled under a low-branching tree, shivering at the cold as it seeped through my bones. I cried out, missing my home desperatly. I had never felt so weak. Me, Princess, weak?! How can that be? I was a strong cat. A fierce one. No mouse or bug EVER comes near me. They know what will happen. I closed my eyes and curled up, braving one night outside alone.

I awoke, starving. My stomach growled and I wished for a bowl of the good food my master usually gives me. It always tasted so good and it made me miss my master more and more. I really loved her and she loved me. She always smiled and talked softly to me. I whimpered and made my way to where I thought was toward my house. As I was walking, I saw a tabby she-cat stalking through the underbrush towards a mouse. She expertly pounced on it and killed it swiftly. My stomach growled and the mouse suddently looked delicious. I trailed her as she honed in on another mouse after she scuffed dirt over the first. Again a pounce and quick kill.

"Hi," I called softly.

The she-cat spun around, claws unsheathed and green eyes fierce. She relaxed when she noticed I was only a kit.

"You shouldn't do that. There are other cats in the forest that are very unkind and would kill an apprentice without hesitation," she told me, sitting down.

I cocked my head.

"Apprentice?" I asked curiously.

"Older than a kit and able to learn how to hunt, but not quite adult or able to be alone," she told me.

"Can you spare a mouse? I lost my house and I can't hunt," I said miserably.

She looked wary.

"I don't know... It's so close to leaf-bare and the mice will be in their burrows. I have to keep a good stash to survive..." she said sadly.

"Please. I don't eat much and you can teach me to hunt so I can repay you," I suggested.

"Well... OK. Here," she said and tossed me the mouse.

I sniffed it and took a bite. It tasted similar to some stuff I had eaten before and I was too hungry to be picky. I scarfed it down and licked my chops.

"That was good," I said.

The she-cat had crouched down low, eyes fixed on a leaf. She kept her belly low, but not touching the leaves. Her tail hovered just above the leaves and flicked every once in a while. She pulled her body slowly forward, paws not making a sound. She tensed and leaped, landing right on the leaf she had been aiming for. She straightened and looked at me.

"Now you try," she said.

I crouched down, trying hard to imitate what she had done.

"Keep your hindquarters down. Don't waggle it in the air," she said patiently.

I did as she said and crawled slowly forward, ears and eyes alert.

"Good. Now, when you leap, push off the ground with your back legs. Don't propell yourself forward with your front legs. That leads to the prey getting away and a very miffed cat," she said.

I did as she said and surprised myself at how high I jumped. I landed a bit awkwardly, but recovered quickly.

"Good, good. See that stick?" she asked, tail pointing at a stick beside a bush.

I nodded.

"Stalk it, then pounce," she commanded.

I dropped into the crouch she had shown me. I kept my body and tail off the gound and made little to no sound as I pulled myself forward. I got close and pounced. I landed with so much force that I broke the stick. I looked up, pleased.

"You're a natural. Let's try it for real," she said and lead me through the underbrush.

It wasn't very long before she scented prey.

"Up in those tree roots is a mouse. Do you see it?" she asked quietly.

I nodded and stalked silently toward it. It nibbled a seed, not seeing me. I got close to it and tensed. I hesitated slightly, but pounced an caught it. I killed it with a swift bite to the neck.

"Good! You are an excellent hunter! Now, I'll take that mouse," she said and ate it quickly.

"Let's get you home. Your housefolk are probobly worried," she said and we walked back to my home.

Chapter 1
I stretched, awoken by sunlight streaming through the window. I looked and saw that my master had already gotten up. I was sore from training on my own last night, memories of my forest adventure in my mind. I walked out and saw my master yelling at the big male housefolk. She ran towards me and scooped me up, wet stuff rolling down her cheeks. She was crying. She started babbleing. I only understood 'Princess' and 'home' and 'can't take you'. She was sad and that made me sad. I nuzzled her, but that only made her cry more.

That week, my master and her family had been packing stuff into boxes. My master had cried alot. She was crying now. The dogs wouldn't leave me alone. They kept whimpering and nudging me. I didn't understand.