14th Day of Fall, 513AV Once again, Kalina left the camp, heading out on her own in search of food, or just something to occupy her time. If she had thought that she had been travelling for a long time last time, she was severely underestimating the amount of time it would take them to get to... wherever they were trying to get to. Of that particular place, she had no idea. The others all seemed to know where they were going, just as they all seemed to know how long it would take. But Kalina had never thought to ask, just trusting her Master to know all of this so that she didn't have to. But as the days passed, and the four season old Kelvic grew more tired, her attitude grew worse and worse. Not more that a few days would pass between tantrums now, which took place in both human and ocelot form. Both forms were no doubt as bad as the other for the three adult travellers; the human tantrums being very vocal, and the ocelot tantrums being quieter, but far more damaging to property. Suffice to say, days went past where she was not the most popular member of the travelling party. Her pace slowing, the young ocelot heard a rustle from the leaves a number of yards in front of her. Instinctively, she crouched down, back legs preparing to spring, through she was far too far away for it to be feasible that she would catch the animal, should she pounce now, remembering how badly it went last time. This time, however, she was more prepared, as she knew the scent of her new prey, and it wasn't the flighty buck she had tried, and failed, to kill. It was the much smaller, and much less satisfying, rat. But Kalina was hungry, and she didn't really have the time to look for something larger, such was the knowledge that her travelling party were currently on the move and, though she was keenly aware of the trail they left behind for her to follow, she made mistakes, and didn't want to let them get too far ahead. The ocelot tore her gaze away from the rustling bush in favour of scanning her surroundings, something she was doing based on instinct, rather than actual experience of having lost her prey to another predator. Most of what she did was actually based on instinct; growing up in the Kelvic Research Institute had left her vastly unprepared for what the real world had in store for her. Kalina had no idea what she would do if she were to spy another feline approaching... and the ignorant creature had no knowledge of what else was out there which was a threat to her. She was a territorial creature, but size, age and incompetency meant that she would not survive against anything truly wild, which she was not. Fortunately, there was nothing else around, and the Kelvic turned back to her unwitting prey. |