Ice hissed in distaste as she shook snow off her paws. The cold fluff
clumped between her toes and froze her pads, making it hard and
sometimes painful to walk. Lowering her foot, she raised her head to
the frosty air and sniffed, sneezing as cold air flooded her nasal
passages.
Despite being named Ice, winter was her least favorite time of year.
Everything was white and featureless, not to mention cold, and prey
was scarce. A large clump of snow dropped on her head as she passed
under a tree, and she shook it off.
Her nose detected the sweet, musky scent of mouse, and Ice paused,
mouth open to taste the air. There. The tiny brown creature was
scrabbling near the roots of a leafless oak, which was gnarled and
wizened with age. Ice crouched down and crept forward, careful to keep
her tail from brushing any drifts of snow and giving her away. Placing
her pads carefully, she flexed her claws, preparing to pounce. One
wrong move would send the creature straight back into its nest.
Narrowing her gaze, the white she-cat focused all her senses on the
mouse.
It wasn't much, but in winter, even a small something was better than
nothing. Wiggling her haunches, Ice pounced, sending up a drift of
snow as she landed squarely on the mouse. It squealed as it tried to
escape from her claws, but Ice killed it swiftly before it could
escape. She purred, pleased with herself.
Though Loner Wood had many cats living in and around it, most stuck to
their own paths, leading solitary lives. She was no different.
Ice bent down and took a bite, surprised at how small the creature
really was; the thing must have just left the nest to be this puny.
After she was done, Ice licked her paws, chewing out chunks of ice
that had frozen in between her toes and trying to ignore her still
empty belly. But it persisted, and finally, she was forced to continue
her search for prey. Most of the creatures inside the trees must have
heard her by now, so she decided to try hunting on the plains.
Padding out of the forest, Ice blinked as the dazzling light reflected
off the snow. Lifting her nose once more, she inhaled deeply. Ice
sniffed again, sure that she was imagining it. But no! It was still
there! Narrowing her eyes against the glare, she strained her eyes for
signs of movement, tail quivering with anticipation. Something moved
in the corner of her vision, and Ice whipped her head around, just in
time to see the white bobbing tail of a snowshoe hare. Licking her
lips, Ice slid forward, pressing her belly against the cold snow. The
rabbit hadn't noticed her yet, but it would soon. She was downwind,
but the air flow was a fickle thing that could change at any moment.
Hurrying her paw steps, Ice froze as the rabbit raised its head and
looked around. She held her breath. The rabbit twitched its ears and
was just about to go back to snuffling around when something spooked
it.
It took off, and Ice streaked after it, spraying snow behind her. She
spied a dark hole in the ground to the right, half hidden by a crust
of ice, and veered toward it. Seeing its path cut off, the hare turned
and zigzagged away, the thick-furred white cat still in pursuit. Ice's
paws pounded the snow-covered ground, but luckily it had frozen to a
hard enough crust so she didn't fall through.
The rabbit started sliding and almost fell over, and Ice had just
enough time to realize it had run onto the frozen lake before she too
was slipping across. Digging in her claws, Ice tried to slow her
momentum. The rabbit scrabbled desperately as it tried to get a hold
on the smooth ice. Ice pressed her ears flat as she hurtled toward the
rabbit, and leapt with her claws outstretched. Their tips just brushed
its fur.
It hared off again, and Ice realized they were across the pond and
back on solid ground. Snow spraying behind her, Ice pelted after the
rabbit, which was headed toward the forest. She was exhausted, her
muscles screaming in protest and breath coming fast. But the rabbit
was slowing, too, and Ice figured that if she could just put on one
last burst of speed...
A dark figure burst out from the trees, and the rabbit squealed in
fear as the creature landed on it. Ice skidded to a halt.
The cat, long furred and white with black patches, raised his head,
the dead rabbit clamped firmly between his jaws.
"I believe this is yours," Riley meowed, his eyes bright with
amusement. Ice fluffed out her fur in defense. He must have seen her
helpless skid across the frozen river. "Relax," he rumbled, pushing
the rabbit closer. "I'm not hungry." Ice looked at him suspiciously.
That was obviously a lie; beneath his thick mat of fur, she was sure
his ribs were showing.
His selflessness reminded her of a story she had once heard after
coming to Loner Wood, from a cat named Falenfall. "Riley is the leader
of Loner Wood, even if it is unofficial. He may act tough, but he
truly cares about his cats," she had mewed. Ice felt herself beginning
to agree with Falenfall's words.
Shifting her paws, she padded forward and bent over the rabbit.
Gripping its scruff in her teeth, she looked up at the long furred
tom. Feeling a bit awkward, she mewed hesitantly, "Do you want to
share? You did catch it, after all." He broke into a purr.
"I thought you'd never ask."
Ice felt her chest beginning to rumble, and quickly suppressed it, but
after a while, she let it break out at full volume. She was still a
loner, no doubt. And Ice had a feeling that that much would never
change.
clumped between her toes and froze her pads, making it hard and
sometimes painful to walk. Lowering her foot, she raised her head to
the frosty air and sniffed, sneezing as cold air flooded her nasal
passages.
Despite being named Ice, winter was her least favorite time of year.
Everything was white and featureless, not to mention cold, and prey
was scarce. A large clump of snow dropped on her head as she passed
under a tree, and she shook it off.
Her nose detected the sweet, musky scent of mouse, and Ice paused,
mouth open to taste the air. There. The tiny brown creature was
scrabbling near the roots of a leafless oak, which was gnarled and
wizened with age. Ice crouched down and crept forward, careful to keep
her tail from brushing any drifts of snow and giving her away. Placing
her pads carefully, she flexed her claws, preparing to pounce. One
wrong move would send the creature straight back into its nest.
Narrowing her gaze, the white she-cat focused all her senses on the
mouse.
It wasn't much, but in winter, even a small something was better than
nothing. Wiggling her haunches, Ice pounced, sending up a drift of
snow as she landed squarely on the mouse. It squealed as it tried to
escape from her claws, but Ice killed it swiftly before it could
escape. She purred, pleased with herself.
Though Loner Wood had many cats living in and around it, most stuck to
their own paths, leading solitary lives. She was no different.
Ice bent down and took a bite, surprised at how small the creature
really was; the thing must have just left the nest to be this puny.
After she was done, Ice licked her paws, chewing out chunks of ice
that had frozen in between her toes and trying to ignore her still
empty belly. But it persisted, and finally, she was forced to continue
her search for prey. Most of the creatures inside the trees must have
heard her by now, so she decided to try hunting on the plains.
Padding out of the forest, Ice blinked as the dazzling light reflected
off the snow. Lifting her nose once more, she inhaled deeply. Ice
sniffed again, sure that she was imagining it. But no! It was still
there! Narrowing her eyes against the glare, she strained her eyes for
signs of movement, tail quivering with anticipation. Something moved
in the corner of her vision, and Ice whipped her head around, just in
time to see the white bobbing tail of a snowshoe hare. Licking her
lips, Ice slid forward, pressing her belly against the cold snow. The
rabbit hadn't noticed her yet, but it would soon. She was downwind,
but the air flow was a fickle thing that could change at any moment.
Hurrying her paw steps, Ice froze as the rabbit raised its head and
looked around. She held her breath. The rabbit twitched its ears and
was just about to go back to snuffling around when something spooked
it.
It took off, and Ice streaked after it, spraying snow behind her. She
spied a dark hole in the ground to the right, half hidden by a crust
of ice, and veered toward it. Seeing its path cut off, the hare turned
and zigzagged away, the thick-furred white cat still in pursuit. Ice's
paws pounded the snow-covered ground, but luckily it had frozen to a
hard enough crust so she didn't fall through.
The rabbit started sliding and almost fell over, and Ice had just
enough time to realize it had run onto the frozen lake before she too
was slipping across. Digging in her claws, Ice tried to slow her
momentum. The rabbit scrabbled desperately as it tried to get a hold
on the smooth ice. Ice pressed her ears flat as she hurtled toward the
rabbit, and leapt with her claws outstretched. Their tips just brushed
its fur.
It hared off again, and Ice realized they were across the pond and
back on solid ground. Snow spraying behind her, Ice pelted after the
rabbit, which was headed toward the forest. She was exhausted, her
muscles screaming in protest and breath coming fast. But the rabbit
was slowing, too, and Ice figured that if she could just put on one
last burst of speed...
A dark figure burst out from the trees, and the rabbit squealed in
fear as the creature landed on it. Ice skidded to a halt.
The cat, long furred and white with black patches, raised his head,
the dead rabbit clamped firmly between his jaws.
"I believe this is yours," Riley meowed, his eyes bright with
amusement. Ice fluffed out her fur in defense. He must have seen her
helpless skid across the frozen river. "Relax," he rumbled, pushing
the rabbit closer. "I'm not hungry." Ice looked at him suspiciously.
That was obviously a lie; beneath his thick mat of fur, she was sure
his ribs were showing.
His selflessness reminded her of a story she had once heard after
coming to Loner Wood, from a cat named Falenfall. "Riley is the leader
of Loner Wood, even if it is unofficial. He may act tough, but he
truly cares about his cats," she had mewed. Ice felt herself beginning
to agree with Falenfall's words.
Shifting her paws, she padded forward and bent over the rabbit.
Gripping its scruff in her teeth, she looked up at the long furred
tom. Feeling a bit awkward, she mewed hesitantly, "Do you want to
share? You did catch it, after all." He broke into a purr.
"I thought you'd never ask."
Ice felt her chest beginning to rumble, and quickly suppressed it, but
after a while, she let it break out at full volume. She was still a
loner, no doubt. And Ice had a feeling that that much would never
change.