[Flashback] What it means to be a child (Nakita)

[Fiera]

Timestamp: 1 Spring 508 AV Fiera delighted in the way her paws skimmed the frosted ground as she ran. She was no longer a mewing kitten. No. Her teeth and claws had hardened to something more formidable and the lean muscles in her back flexed as she leapt gracefully over a fallen tree. She was still very young, but Fiera was not longer so dependent on her mother. Excitement and pure joy flooded through her, blocking out all other emotions. This was her first day of hunting. This was her first day alone in the woods. There was so much exploring to do. The sun rose slowly above the horizon in a way that reminded Fiera of a divine creature, perhaps even the beautiful snow Goddess Morwen. As a result of the thin frost, very single surface facing the sun sparkled as if it were inlayed with tiny replicas of the star itself. As she bounded along, the kelvic noticed small buds of leafs forming on some branches, and even a few white flowers that had managed to force their way to the surface of the frozen ground. Fiera entered the forest, pawing and nudging things with her nose. Curiously, she sniffed at a green plant. A sweet scent emanated from the wide leaves and Fiera chewed on it. Catnip! Her mother had told her of the plant some time earlier. Once far enough under the canopy of trees, she stilled. Fiera sat, entirely still, with her belly pressed against the cold ground and her ears pricked forward. The forest was awakening from the harsh winter that had passed. A flutter of wings, a flash of brown pelt, a bird’s song. Her strangely blue eyes widened as she saw a rabbit foraging under a tree. She flicked her tail in delight and settled into a deeper crouch. Fiera’s tail caught on a leaf and dragged it across the ground, alerting the rabbit of her presence. She pounced too late and was caught off balance, but still gave chase. Due to her loss of balance earlier, her prey was already far ahead. Fiera could have caught up, if the rabbit hadn’t dived into an obscure burrow. She sunk her claws into the ground in frustration. Her joyful mood dissipated quickly as the day progressed. The animals she hunted seemed to sense her before she sensed them. After the first few failures, Fiera learned to stay downwind from her prey, but that didn’t improve her ungainly crouch and awkward landings. By midday, she had still caught nothing and was beginning to feel the numbness in her feet that the frozen ground had instilled. Fiera trudged loudly through the forest, uncaring if she was frightening away the prey. She was tired, hungry and cold. She failed to notice the beautiful way in which the snow sparkled as in melted. The young cougar came across a stream, and stopped to take a drink. Sated, Fiera lifter her head and met the brown eyes of a young deer, most likely a buck. For a moment, the prey and the predator stared at each other, sizing each other up. Fiera felt a thrill of excitement pass through her.