The Rabbit Hunt

Koi was again on a little walk around the Clan borders. There was a slight bounce to his step as he walked over the short grass, the sun of new leaf shining warmly on his colorful fur.

He was once more in the near of WindClans borders, looking over to their territory from time to time. Maybe he would have another chance to meet that friendly apprentice. What was her name again? Ah yes, Cornpaw. It had been really nice to talk to the little apprentice. Hopefully she hasn’t gotten in any trouble when she came back to camp that day.

However his thoughts of the WindClan apprentice quickly wandered to another apprentice, which hadn’t returned home after their conversation. Kestrelpaw, from RiverClan. The barn cats had told him that the little she-cat had gone missing after she had searched for him again. It felt really guilty about it, that the overenthusiastic apprentice might have changed her mind and had wanted to become a loner quicker after all. If something happened to her out there it would have been his fault.

The thin tom sighed, his previously joyful step now a bit less bouncy and his head hung low. He hoped he would be able to say sorry to RiverClan, or be able to help them find her. Sadly he didn’t knew the she-cat either, who had taken Kestrelpaw with her.

A little breeze was coming up, ruffling through his short fur. A small smile appeared again on his face at that and he said “You came to cheer me up, eh?” The tom stopped in his tracks for a short moment to enjoy the breeze, his gaze wandering up to the sky.

He took a deep breath then, closing his eyes and trying to lose the guilt again that had been building in his chest at the thought of Kestrelpaw. Though next to the smell of the fresh new leaf air, there was also another scent. Opening his mouth to sense the scent better, Koi could now identify the scent.

Rabbit.

The loner opened his eyes again and got into the hunting crouch Batchase had shown him. He had been training since their last meeting and was getting better and better in it with every hunt. Slowly he followed the scent until he could see the rabbit sitting just a few tail lengths away from him, nibbling on a few blades of grass.

Though, from his previous hunts on rabbits, he knew he had to first look around and analyze his surroundings. Or well, they were more like hunting attempts than actual hunts really. Every time he had tried to hunt a rabbit prior they just all of a sudden vanished, but on his last hunt he had finally found out about their secret. He had discovered that they had always been running to their safe holes, where they could hide from him. This time though he would keep them in mind while hunting.

Koi didn’t even have to search long for them, since they seemed to be right in front of the tip of his nose. If he started his hunt now he would be directly between the rabbit and his holes. This could be his chance to finally hunt a rabbit!

Sneaking slowly closer to the rabbit, he kept his eyes and ears directly on his prey like Batchase had shown him. The breeze was blowing from the rabbit’s direction, hiding the toms scent from the small animal.

The moment the rabbits ear swiveled in his direction he started running, immediately taking chase after the rabbit, who was now running as well. The rabbit tried to lose him and somehow get back to his holes but Koi watched the rabbit’s movements precisely, always cutting off its way. The distance between them got smaller with every leap he took and when the rabbit was finally close enough he tried to grab it with his front paws.

It seemed for a moment, that he had tried to catch it to soon but in the last moment he could feel his claws slowly sinking into the rabbits hind legs. It tripped and they both crashed into the ground. Koi rolled over the grass once, the rabbit still in his grasp, while trying to sink his teeth in as well. It seemed more luck then actual skill that that actually worked.

The tom was now holding the rabbit down on the ground. Since he had a better grip on it thanks to his jaws holding it, he tried to pin it down completely with his paws so he would be able to actually do the killing bite. They wrangled for a few moments like that, Koi trying to not get the rabbits claws in his face before he was finally able to pin it down. His jaws shot to the rabbit’s neck immediately, killing it with one bite.

The loner laid on the ground for a while, catching his breath. That had been a lot more difficult then he had thought it would be. He definitely would have to get better at that, for his own safety and for the poor rabbit. He hadn’t wanted it to struggle and stress for so long.

After a short while he then stood up again, picking up the rabbit and looking around for a nice sunny place to eat. When he saw a big rock that looked like it was nice and warm from the sun, he made his way over there. Jumping up he could already feel the warmth in his paw pads which made him purr happily. He laid down the rabbit and made himself comfortable next to it on the rock.

Koi then touched the rabbit with his nose and closed his eyes. “Thank you for this rabbit, Earth Spirit.” he said silently before he began his meal. Every time he was eating prey, he couldn’t believe that he had only now started to actually do it. He had always been too afraid to kill an animal himself, even if it was just to get something to eat in his stomach. But now that he knew, that the Spirits wouldn’t be angry at him for hunting something from time to time, he really began to enjoy it. Especially since it tasted far better than the most of the food the furless would give him.

After finishing his meal he cleaned his fur a bit, which had gotten a bit dirty at his rather inelegant rabbit hunt. When his fur was freed from all the dirt and was nicely warm again thanks to the sun, the colorful tom jumped down from the rock. He buried the rest from the rabbit under the earth, before he continued his way again with a bounce to his step.