Nesting

The creak of the narrow branch didn’t prompt the Prey Hunter to move. Nor did the angry meows of the Claw Guard that stood in the shadow of the tree the smaller cat had chosen to hunt in. She only spared the other cat a glance, before moving her gaze back to the birds. Only two sat within her line of sight. A magpie and a starling. She could hear the songs of three others. One somewhere behind her while the other two sat high up and well out of her reach. Those three were also starlings.

Flight of Soaring Swift was waiting. Waiting for the perfect time to strike. What she planned required a patience not many possessed - one that not many needed in truth - but one that would serve the she-cat well. She lay still, save for her swivelling ears and darting eyes, counting the number of birds as best she could. There were six now. One magpie, screeching as it hopped from one branch to another. Four starlings, one about a wolf-length from her and the others elsewhere in the tree. The newcomer was a pigeon. It landed where the magpie had been, thinking the tree safe, but it started and took flight again as it spotted Soar. The small calico watched it leave with a sigh. The thing’s panicked flight had frightened the starlings too, leaving her with only the magpie.

That magpie could see her, most of the birds had, but they rarely flew away unless she made a move towards them. That was one of the reasons Soar liked to hunt them; many seemed intent on waiting until the last heartbeat before taking flight, giving most cats an easy enough time when catching them. They frightened like kittens though, so one would lose the whole flock if they scared even one bird.

There were three now. That pigeon, or one that looked like it, had come with a friend. They had settled on a branch below and about a tail-length to the left of Soar. The branch was too thin to support anything more than the smallest of To-Bes. That ruled it out as a safe place to land.

“... you mousebrained!? We don’t have all day, Swift!”

The voice of her tribemate slowly came to her attention again. The Claw Guard’s words seemed to carry a warning in them. Did she plan on ruining her catch? She hoped not, for her sake. Soar shifted slightly to look down at her sister, but did not respond. Seeing her look at her seemed to prompt the she-cat to raise her voice.

“Are you planning on making a nest up there?”

Soar tuned her voice out again and flattened her ears. If she didn’t stop this yowling, she’d scare away all the prey in the valley! She resumed her watch of the birds. Somehow, more of them came to rest on the tree. They seemed indifferent to the ginger she-cat’s shouting.
It seemed like the Tribe of Endless Hunting had decided to have pity on her. Shifting very slowly, Soar made a final count. Four were in her line of sight and too many to count by just sound nesting elsewhere in the tree. The magpie looked like a decent target. It was bold for a creature its size and it confidently roamed the tree despite Soar’s presence. It would move more slowly than the others when she attacked. The pigeons below her were probably a better pick, though. The grey birds always seemed to fly upwards when startled. If she attacked them, they would fly right into her paws!

While Soar was still making her choice, the whole tree suddenly came alive with movement. Startled calls and the beating of wings filled the air. Without thinking, the Prey Hunter dived for the magpie. Feathers and leaves obscured her vision, but she could feel her claws sink into the bird’s delicate body. With her forepaws full, Soar landed ungracefully in the grass, almost losing her grip on the magpie. As soon as she got her footing, she killed the bird and turned to glare at the Claw Guard. Cry of Angered Wolf stared back coldly. Fresh claw marks scored the bark of the tree she stood beside. She almost looked unhappy about Soar’s successful catch.

“Nice catch.” She said, “Now let’s get back and join the others.”

She didn’t wait for Soar to respond before turning her back on the smaller cat. Soar remained where she was for a couple of heartbeats, trying to temper her anger. Wolf’s reaction was… understandable. That didn’t make her actions right in Soar’s eyes, though. Once her anger was under control, Soar took a moment to give thanks for her catch, then hurried to catch up with the rest of the patrol.