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One of the healers came over to examine Lyka. She gave the teen a potion to drink that would dull some of the pain and then went about making sure her ribs were in proper healing position.

Another healer came by to check on Moriean's injury. She tired to give her some of the potion but the elder refused. As before, no matter what the healer poked or prodded, the elder didn't even flinch.

"This was your first battle and you did well enough. Though your technique could use some work. You show obvious skill in killing prey, but against something with a mind for fighting you seem to lose your head."


Lyka accepted the potion quietly and drank the bitter liquid without complaint. The pain in her ribs subsided to a dull throbbing, but the cracking sounds still worried her. The teen tried to relax. The healers knew what they were doing. Well, she hoped they did anyway. She winced when they prodded her jaw, but it was pronounced unfractured.

A healer took what looked like a curved wooden board out of somewhere and held it up to Lyka's side. She then picked up an odd looking knife and began to reshape it to fit, before binding it to the teen's broken ribs.

The board made it difficult to move, and she couldn't bend her spine nearly as much with it in place, but her ribs hurt considerably less and there weren't any more worrisome snapping sounds.

"How would you suggest I improve? I don't know very many strategies for battle and I would be glad to learn more."

Nearby, the cloudy teen turned an ear their way. She was being treated for the numerous cuts and slashes Lyka had put on her back, and was still bleeding profusely although all her bones were intact.


"I would suggest keeping still. You are strong enough to take on an attack and you are quick enough to side step a great deal more than you think. When you stand your ground, you stand strong. Also, don't ever be afraid to take a hit. I took several, and I won in one strike. The closer they get, the easier it is to hit a vital area. So few remember that and just try to make their prey bleed to death before killing them. One kill strikes are much easier, even if they mean a few new scars. Remember, a scar means you survived. Rarely do losers come back with scars, they are usual dead."


Delila paused, eying her claws carefully before nodding slightly, satisfied. She tested a claw on her finger, smiling as a tiny pinpoint of blood welled on the tip. Perfect. Licking away the coppery fluid, she wondered idlly whether that was it for the teen battles or not. There hadn't been many teens in line for the fights after all. Rather disappointing actually. Delila had hoped to learn a little more today, but at least the lessons she'd learned had been important ones.

"Well, if it isn't Miss High and Mighty. Guess you think you're something special, don'tcha?"

The black kitten tensed, turning only her eyes towards the source of the voice. On her right, a mottled green and brown cougar stood, paws on hips and practically radiating hostility. Although bigger than Delila, this new cougar still seemed to be a kitten in all respects, and she certainly hadn't taken part in the teen battles. Her colors would be excellent for hunting in the forest, but seemed a little out of place in the mountains. Then again, Delila's colors weren't exactly well-suited for the terrain either. Her black fur was great for hiding in the shadows, but her bright red stripes would give her away if she wasn't careful.

Delila continued to silently size up the other cougar, refusing to acknowledge her presence with a response. The mottled female hissed, circling the other kitten angrily before stopping directly in front of her. Delila's eyes never lost sight of her, though she never moved from her delicate perch atop the boulder.

"Nothing to say, eh? Of course not. You're no warrior. You're just a weak, defenseless kit and you'll never be anything else." The greenish-brown cougar snarled in disgust, looking Delila up and down before continuing. "I don't know what you did to catch Chieftess Theta's attention, but I assure you...anything you can do, I can do a hundred times better." She hissed again, flexing her claws for emphasis.

Delila looked on calmly before finally speaking quietly, but with a haughty glare. "How is it that you can insult me as a kitten when you are no more than a kitten yourself?" Perhaps this wasn't the smartest move for a cougar who had just resolved not to draw any more attention to herself, but the other cougar had started this and Delila would not back down. She was no coward, and she wouldn't have it believed that she was. Not if she was ever going to earn the respect she so desired.

The other kitten glared, growling angrily as though she realized she had no answer for this. Or perhaps she was just angry and wild. Who knows? What is sure is that within moments, she was sailing through the air towards Delila, yowling with claws outstretched.

Delila's eyes narrowed as she braced herself for impact, meeting the wild eyes of the green-brown female with her own cold glare. Her mind raced through various strategies, scrambling for the best tactics to use in facing this foe. She had no idea what the other kitten's fighting style was, if she even had one, so she would have to rely on her instincts to help her survive this fight. Sure, kitten fights were rarely fatal, at least more rare than teen and adult battles, but Delila believed that the best strategy was to treat every fight as if it were a battle for life or death. That way, when the important battles arose, you were more likely to survive.

The green-brown female's front paws made a solid connection with Delila's shoulders, pushing her backwards off the top of the rock. Rather than fighting against the fall, Delila went with it, drawing her knees up to her chest as she rolled backwards towards the ground. As soon as her back hit the ground, she kicked out viciously with her footpaws, catching the other cougar in the stomach and using her own inertia against her. Intent on doing as much damage as she could with minimal effort, Delila sunk her claws into both her opponent's stomach and her chest as she continued the roll, then threw the other cougar off backwards with a final kick and a feral growl. Never would she forget the look of surprise on the larger kitten's face as she went flying through the air, confused as to how this smaller cougar could have gotten the best of her.

There was a loud, sickening-sort of thud as the kitten's momentum was abruptly cut short by a large rock jutting out of the earth. Delila panted slightly for a moment, crouched on all-fours after completing the roll maneuver. She had only seen that move work once before, but fortunately, it had worked for her this time. She didn't bother to go check on the other cougar. Unconscious or dead, she found she didn't really care. As long as she wasn't going to attack Delila again, that was all she was concerned with. Besides, there were already a couple teens and an adult headed in this direction to investigate what all the commotion had been about. If she needed help, let them handle it. Delila was done with the whole ordeal.

As the adrenaline rush waned, Delila was surprised to note that her paws felt wet. In fact, they were dripping. She raised one hand, noting the red liquid dripping from her claws. Blood? Was it the other cougar's? She had sunk her claws in, but it shouldn't have left this much blood on her hands in that brief time. She followed the wet trails up through her fur to her upper arms, just now starting to sting. Deep, jagged gashes on her shoulders and upper arms told the story. Apparently, the other cougar hadn't been willing to let go of Delila, even as she was forcefully thrown backwards. She sank her claws into Delila's arms desperately, causing decent damage as she was ripped away by force.

Delila frowned, eying the wounds. They weren't pretty, but they could certainly have been worse. She would survive, and long ago would have simply treated them herself, but now? She had made quite a few enemies in the tribe today and she needed to be ready to defend herself at all times if necessary. She needed to be in top-form and if it took a trip to the healer's tent for that, then she would swallow her pride and go. Standing slowly, she turned her back on the other cougar and walked straight to the healer's tent, disappearing inside.


Moriean's ears perked up, hearing a scuffle. But that wasn't the sound of anther teen battle.

"Guess the little black one got a few enemies. Stupid kittens. Upset just because Theta spoke to her."

She looked over in time to see said black kitten enter with a wound on her shoulder. The elder smirked.

"Seems she won too. Good. Makes her stronger."


There was too much going on. Kimae sent a disgusted look to Vixa, muttering under her breath. Others were working on the teens, now.. she just had to make sure that the adults were still breathing. "Bah, you're hardened warriors.. Heal yourself." She wanted to growl, she wanted to kick the horrible people that were fighting against themselves. Vaguely, she noted that she sounded.. horribly bitter. Loud noises she blocked out, trying her hardest to concentrate on relocating a pretty young adult's shoulder. Grey-blue eyes darted towards the opening of the tent as a kitten wandered in, quite obviously wounded.

"Oh, of all things.. Stupid little girl, I swear.." Of course, her tone really wasn't harsh. "What is going on out there..?"


Keep still, yes. Lyka was going to have to work on that. So far, she still fought mostly by instinct. Or rather, she hunted rather than fighting, but if she was going to practice those moves, she needed something with at least a semblance of intelligence as well as speed and agility. Easy prey was scarce in the Molrague Mountains. Most of what she and others hunted fought back. There were always weasls, but they were too small and of the wrong build. Wolverines? Too easily angered. A ram maybe? But they always escaped upwards, not that she couldn't chase them. Bear? Strong, but slow and stupid. Finally, she settled on a wolf. Yes, not the best opponent, and they didn't have claws, but if she could get one alone it would be almost as good as going against another teen.

After she had healed from the Festival, Lyka made up her mind to take another trip into the mountains, this time in search of wolves.

"I suppose if I had taken the first punch, I could have had her right at the beginning."

Now, going over the fight in her mind, the openings were blaringly obvious to her, but it was already after the fact.

The teen turned an ear towards the sound of another fight. Judging by the volume it was only a kitten's skirmish. They were usually loud, violent, and bloody, but rarely fatal. She watched the little black cougar wander in, confident for a kitten, she noted, and chuckled darkly.

"It seems you were right, Moriean. Only the winners bear scars."

Lyka glared at Kimae when the healer's back was turned. What did she think was going on out there. It was hardly unusual for healers to be stressed during the Festival, but the white cougar sounded unusually distraught. Her use of the word "you" bothered her in some way that the teen couldn't really place, but it wasn't within her right to say anything to an adult.


"Just ignore the white one. Vixa brought her home one night, she's not even our clan. Once you've healed up I'll give you a bit of training, something that will help you in the mountains. Maybe later we can harness that power you showed in the battle."

Moriean stood up, picking her gauntlets up as well.

"I must go, but I will see you again Lyka. Fare Night to you."

The strong huntress left the tent to return to watch the rest of the fights.


"Fare Night to you as well."

Lyka nodded her thanks and tried to smile as she waved, but although the corners of her eyes crinkled warmly, it seemed that the muscles of her face had forgotten how to change expressions beyound baring her teeth. First her voice, now this. She really needed to spend more time around other cougars.

She glanced back at the white healer, scrutinizing her appearance. Moriean was right. She seemed different somehow. Not wanting to be caught in a confrontation, Lyka directed her attention to the little black kitten who had caught Theta's eye. She was bleeding, but seemed to be fine except for the slashes on her arms and shoulders. The teen couldn't see anything special about her posture, but if Theta had noticed than surely there was some other ability. Perhaps she possessed great spiritual power?


Delila's eyes scanned the inside of the tent automatically, then she tried to force herself to relax. No one should try to attack her in the healer's tent. Key word being "should." Realizing this, she kept her instincts on full alert as she waited to be treated. There were a few semi-familiar faces around the room, but of course, no one she'd consider a friend.

Her ear twitched slightly at the white adult's comment and her usually controlled temper flared momentarily. "Well, I didn't start it, but I sure as hell finished it!" She glared at the healer, eyes flashing with fury at the insult. How dare this healer call her stupid? It wasn't as if she was looking to get hurt! That would be asinine! But she couldn't be expected not to defend herself. That was just as foolish a thought.

She clenched her fists and crossed her arms, only making the blood flow more freely as she fought to control her temper. This was no time to be snapping at the healers. Especially at an adult. She bit her tongue, reminding herself to watch what she said from here on out. If she was ever going to attain a position of respect in this tribe, she needed to start early.

Delila was about to take a seat to wait when she had to leap back out of the way of the leaving adult. She made sure she was far out of the way as she watched the cougar with the gauntlets pass by and leave the tent. Sighing, she secretly hoped one day to be able to fight like she'd seen the adult fight earlier. Deceptively fast AND strong.

She plopped down on a stool as a young healer began attending her wounds. She stared straight ahead as the older cougar began washing the blood from her wounds. She took the time to analyze her recent battle, finding her faults and deciding how to correct them next time. With the exception of a slight twitch as the healer applied a potion that stung her raw flesh, Delila may as well have been a statue.


Lyka hissed softly when the kitten spoke against the white healer, both to silence the young one and to warn the adult. Sure, she was older and probably more experianced than Lyka, but she was not Quicktalon. The defense of a kitten called upon blood ties far stronger than a show of superiority could break. They were a rugged and harsh tribe, but they were also very close. Lyka could not allow an outsider to attack one of her clan. They were not sisters, but they were both Quicktalon, and that was as good as.

At the same time, the kitten had been out of place, and Lyka did not want to anger the healer. The hiss was a warning, that was all.

"Watch your tongue, little one. What's your name anyway?"

She purred with a warm chuckle. The teen stood up stiffly, and sat back down next to the black kitten, purposely putting herself between Kimae and Delila. She shot the white cougar another glance in case she was preparing to attack.


Kimae couldn't help but smile at the little kitten, the smile only growing when she heard the teen. "She's fine. Speaking her mind, I suppose.." It wasn't like she hadn't seen the looks she had gotten. She was being careful with her words, maybe she'd snap at Delila later.. "You two are alike, be nice." she grinned, shaking her head when Lyka moved to sit down between her and the kitten. She wasn't rough. "I'm not going to touch her. I'm not up to harming her, anyway.." she sighed, a glassy eye shutting as she stepped away.


As she stepped away, Lyka caught sight of the scar over her eye. It made her look..familiar somehow. The teen couldn't fathom where on earth she might have met an outsider before, but she couldn't shake off the feeling that she had. She pushed the thought aside.

Moriean's advice, only the winners bear scars. Well, the white healer had definately been in a fight before, even if she was now clearly displaying that she dislike blood and violence. Perhaps she wasn't as much of an outsider as Lyka first thought.


Vixa hissed, annoyed. By the sound of it, there was another kitten scuffle going on and it involved Eris. Whenever Eris was involved, Jei was involved, and whenever that happened, she had more work to do. She was busy enough with the festival without having to worry about Jei maiming someone, Eris getting maimed, and Ruth being in a horrible temper. Kittens who didn't defend themselves had the worst injuries.

It was a different kitten that wandered into the Healer's Tent, probably the one who had been picking on Eris. The Shamaness growled coldly as she tended to an unconcious teen.

"If you want to fight, fight, but fight someone you can learn from. Bulleying will do you less good than cowardice."


Delila looked up at Lyka, eyes widening slightly. Perhaps she had no respect for the rude healer, but this cougar was different. She had seen the teen in battle and knew that she was one to fear and respect. "I am Delila," she said finally, head lowered.

She looked confused by the Shamaness' words, however. She knew better than to snap at her, but she was more taken with curiosity than rage in this case. Afterall, Vixa hadn't insulted her. Turning, she tilted her head to the side, asking, "Bullying? I don't understand. Are you speaking of me? I attacked no one. I was the one being attacked. I simply defended myself to the best of my abilities." She wondered what sort of bullying Vixa could be referring to.

Only when she paused to consider this did she hear the dying sounds of a scuffle outside. Kitten fight, from the sound of it; so the teen battles definitely hadn't resumed. Frowning, she watched the healer cougar finish tending the wounds on her arms as she fought the urge to go check the situation out for herself...and perhaps join in if necessary.


The next two teens up to battle were not at all evenly matched. One was muscular and strong. She was one of the oldest in the group and she shook her head and growled ferociously. The other was one of the youngest, and her build was lean to the point of being frail.

Theta regarded them with interest. The bulky teen had the look of a wild one, which she would probably grow into as she aged. The smaller teen, however, was going to become one of Quicktalon's few homemakers.

"Next fight. Begin."

The smaller teen looked almost frightened as she clutched her weapon, a skinning knife. It was comical to see her standing there so pathetically as her opponent charged at her and the audiance jeered at her.

The larger teen swung her fist in a hook punch, intending to knock her out quickly, but the homemaker's eyes narrowed and her demenor changed at once. She stepped inwards to avoid the punch and deftly pressed the flat of the skinning knife to the other's throat, stopping her short.


"Very good. You know how to hold your ground."

Theta was amused. That had been the quickest battle yet. Perhpas their numbers were few, but the warriors of tomorrow were certaintly of an exceptable caliber.

"Teens, you have fought well. May you soon join the ranks of seasoned warriors. The Prey Capture will begin shortly. Take this time to prepare."


Delila's eyes darted anxiously to the tent's opening flap, subconsciously willing the healer to hurry up and finish. Her sharp ears had picked up Theta's voice. The Prey Capture would begin soon and she didn't want to miss her chance to take part in the events of the Festival. The main events outside of the kitten games, at least.


"Delila...I'll remember that."

At the sound of the start of the Prey Event, Lyka got to her feet. She was really in no shape to compete (and wouldn't stand a chance unless they had a mountain goat), but it was her favorite part of the festival as a kitten, and she didn't want to miss it. She ducked under the tent flap, but looked back at Delila before heading out.

"I want to watch this. Are you coming?"


Delila blinked, leaping to her feet as soon as the healer finished and stepped back. "Yes, I'm coming," she nodded, following fast on Lyka's heels. The kitten had been looking forward to the event all day, hoping she might even get the chance to compete. Unfortunately, the bandages on her arms marked her as technically injured, so she doubted she'd be allowed to join in. At least there would be a chance for her to learn something about hunting as well as warrior battling today. She padded silently after the teen fighter, practicing as always her ability to move about undetected.


They were starting off with the larger, more dangerous prey, which had to be taken while the huntresses were still fresh. The first round featured a stag. He was hobbled and had a cougar at his head, making sure he didn't start jabbing with his antlers. They took him out into the valley and released him somewhere out of sight, although his furious bellows could be heard at the festival site.

Next in line was a wolf, contained, but snarling and hissing angrily, as the huntresses prepared to go after the stag. The rest consisted of smaller prey like rabbits, a pair of weasls, several goats, and even a deer buck that had been caught on the border of Dewclaw lands.

Because the first two prey animals were so dangerous, kittens would not be allowed to compete in the first two rounds. To keep them entertained, especially the younger ones, Rita brought out a bagful of rats.

"Come here little ones. I have a huntress's challenge for you."

A scruffy brown kitten sat at her heels, eyeing the bag curiously. Soon, others began to gather around her, eagarly brandishing their claws.

Theta raised her staff and the fires burned high to announce the next round.

"The stag is a powerful beast, with strong hoofs that can kill a cougar with one kick to the head. But he is still only prey. Which of you is worthy of Quicktalon? Which of you can take down the stag? You will know him by the band of white paint on his prongs."


Delila watched the Quicktalon huntresses preparing for the stag hunt, not without a brief pang of envy. One day, she'd be taking part in the stag hunt; she swore it. There was no way they'd let a kitten take part though, especiallly not an "injured" kitten. She eyed her bandaged shoulders with distain, temped to rip the wrappings off with her claws. They didn't even hurt anymore...but for all she knew, they'd start bleeding again if she removed the bandages. She glanced up at Lyka and her own injuries. "I don't suppose you'll be taking part in the hunt this year, either?" She didn't mean it as disrespect, just curiosity. She wondered if older cougars with injuries were ever allowed to compete anyway.

Her eyes darted over towards the gathering kittens around Rita, and for a moment, was tempted to take her place among them. But, for some reason, the kitten games never really interested her. They seemed too easy, more like a distraction for young babies than for a training warrioress. Rats couldn't really fight back, not with a decent hunting cougar, so where was the challenge? But for some reason, she felt herself drawn towards the others this time. Not for the games themselves perhaps, but for the chance to take part in the festival in some way, no matter how small. She wanted to feel like a part of the unified tribe, rather than an outside observer. She wanted to feel the adrenaline rush of her own hunt or battle, rather than watching someone else's. She wanted to see and feel the blood on her own claws, not watch someone else bathe in the victory of battle. When would it be HER turn?


"No, I won't." she sighed, "Well, maybe the goats. I'll follow along behind and if they've started climbing, I'll go after them. When there's nowhere further up to go, you'll get them eventually, but most likely someone will kill them before they start."

She spotted Rita and gave an acknowledging nod as she walked passed, smiling at the memory of the Rat Catching game. It had been her favorite, but she was too old for it now.

Lyka trotted off in the same direction that the huntresses went to watch the Stag Hunt. Of course, she was in no condition to participate, but now that she was old enough to leave the festival site during the hunt, she wanted to at least witness it.

The huntress poked the bag and the rats inside scrambled and squealed frightened. She motioned for Delila to come join the group.

"The rules are easy. I toss the rat out, you catch it, but you only get one pounce per rat. Right, so here we go."

She lifted a rat out of the bag and flung it down amonst them. It struggled as it's body flew through the air, paws scrabblng for traction of any kind, and it took off the moment it landed.

Rita kept a careful eye on the rat, ready to catch it herself if none of the kittens did.


Delila watched enviously as Lyka headed off to watch the hunt, leaving the kittens at the festival site with some of the elders of the tribe watching over them. Maybe they would let her go after one of the rabbits later at least. She sighed, shrugging in defeat and heading over to join Rita and the other kittens. If she was going to take part in the game...she may as well go all out, right?

She focused all her senses on the rat squirming helplessly in Rita's grasp. She could see its panicked struggles. Her ear twitched slightly at the rat's squealing. She could even smell the small creature's fear. As she trained all of her instincts on the rat, the noise and distraction of her surroundings seemed to fade away, leaving only her...and her intended prey.

As the rat flew through the air, Delila was only vaguely aware of an overly-eager kitten leaping and overshooting the falling rodent, landing on top of another crouching kitten. As the rat hit the dirt and began scrabbling in the dirt, fighting for purchase, Delila tensed, shifting seemlessly into hunting mode. The rat took off, darting between the paws of a very young kitten as two more leapt, slamming head-first into one another as they both went for the rat at once. In short, it was chaos. Typical for the first round of a Rat Catching game.

Delila had played once before, however, and knew to stay back out of the initial chaos. She tracked the rat with her eyes only, ignoring the kittens that flailed about as the rodent darted between their paws. Finally, the rat ventured too near to the outside of the group and the black kitten made her move. Silently, Delila released the built-up energy in her legs, leaping on top of the panicked rodent and pinning it down as she went straight for its tiny neck. Go for the throat for a quick kill. She looked up moments later, licking blood from her fangs. Still easy, but perhaps rewarding in its own way. She'd get to take part in a REAL hunt one day...hopefully one day soon...


Rita eyed the black kitten approvingly as she caught the rat. She was obviously one of the older, and had played the game more than several times before. But she wasn’t very large, so she couldn’t be as close to her ceremony as some of the other kittens who had gathered there. Perhaps she was just a faster learner. Wait, wasn’t she the kitten that Theta had addressed? Well, she certainly seemed to be showing enough skill to warrant it for her age.

She grabbed another rat out of the bag and tossed it into the group. After it started scrambling away, she tossed out another one. Gradually, she increased the number of rats out at one time, seeing which kittens were able to keep their focus and which ones darted haphazardly back and forth trying to catch them all.

It wasn't long until Lyka caught up with the huntresses. Tracking an animal as large as a stag was fairly easy, it was taking it down that was the hard part. They had backed it into a corner of sorts, and instead of running from them, the stag turned to fight with his rack lowered and his hooves splayed outwards.

She climbed up to a ledge overlooking the hunt, and settled there.

One of the huntresses went in from the side, and was rebuked by a hoof the size of her head. She leaped back just in time to avoid the kick. Another huntress went in from the shoulder, and was warded off by the many antlers. They kept attacking from the same side, each one unsucessful but seemingly undaunted. Lyka realized that they were slowly turning the stag around to face the side the attackers were coming from. The cougars on the other side, moved about but remained passive. Suddenly, a dappled brown huntress leaped nimbly onto the stag's shoulders and hung on, while two others rolled swiftly underneath it and slashed at it's legs.

The stag went down with a great bellow as the tendons were severed and its hind end crumpled beneath it. The huntress on its back twisted around to avoid being squashed at it rolled onto its side and attempted to defend itself it with its front legs, but there was no way it could get at the brown huntress, who was already past the range of the terrible prongs.


Theta looked over the group that had brought the stag back, noting the splatters of blood on the chest fur of a dappled brown huntress. None of them seemed to be injured, that was good.

"Well done. You have shown not only skill, but teamwork. Remember this, though a huntress alone may be proud, huntresses together will not fill their stomaches with pride alone against dangerous prey."

She glanced at the mottled brown and green kitten that had attacked Delila, to see if she was listening.

"The next round begins. Your task is not only to hunt, but to fight. For of all prey, none fights harder than a wolf."

The next group of huntresses started out. This time, teamwork was not on their minds. Wolves were not very large, like the stag, but they fought like cougars when caught, and they were hard to catch in the first place.


Delila looked up at the announcement, finishing cleaning some blood from her paws and muzzle. At least she wasn't hungry anymore, even if the game had been a little easy. She noticed Theta's eyes shifted, if only for a split second, and she tried to follow the Cheiftess' line of sight. An unconscious growl rose in her throat as she sighted her attacker from earlier. So...she hadn't killed the other kitten afterall. Hmmph...pity. Ah well, she'd taught her a lesson she wouldn't forget any time soon. And the energy she'd used in doing so had already been replenished by the rat from the game. As long as the mottled kitten didn't mistake Delila for an easy target again, they'd get along just fine.

She watched the huntresses preparing for the next round. It was fortunate that no one had been hurt in the last round with the stag, but would they be so lucky this round? Wolves were notoriously vicious fighters, especially when cornered.


Lyka did not watch the wolf hunt. There would always be strageties. As much as she wanted to, she knew she could not learn them right now. She was planning to fight the wolves herself, but she wanted to test her skills as a cougar. She needed to fight them as cougars, not as wolves.

The huntresses each set out in a different direction. The first problem was that of tracking the wolf. When they knew they were being hunted, wolves were cunning and tended to disguise their trail. No doubt the short imprisionment had strengthened this fear.

Far in the distance, there rose a wavering call. It was answered by another. Were there more wolves? The huntresses were unsure. A dusky grey that had wandered away from the main trail was the source of the first call. She howled again, mimicking a wolf. Not only did this confuse the other competitors, it lured the wolf towards her and gave away its position. By the time the other huntresses had traced the source of the calls, her arms and sides were badly mangled, and six inches of her tail was chewed through the bone, but the wolf was dead.

When they returned, she headed straight into the Healer's Tent.


The Cheiftess continued to watch sternly before delivering her wisdom and her verdict.

"To move with the earth, one must become the earth. fight the enemy, one must become the enemy. To track the wolf, one must become the wolf. Well done."

She tapped her staff on the ground and the fires burned high to announce the next round.

"Practicality is your next test. Kill as many as you can or we will go hungry at tonight's feast."

The gathered cougars roared in excitement. Now was the time to prove themselves, not as select warriors, not as strategizers or climbers, now was to show their prowess at what they did every day. Now was the time for the hunt.


Delila roared along with the tribe, raising her voice with the other cougars in a verbal demonstration of unity. This is what she had been waiting for. Finally, an event that she might have the chance to take part. She stood, stretching and shaking out her muscles to relieve any posssible stiffness. She wanted to be absolutely ready when Theta gave the word, eager to prove her own worth to the tribe. Although...

She paused, eying the bandages on her arms darkly. Her shoulders had stopped hurting long ago and she didn't want to be mistakenly judged as being too injured to take part in the hunt. She flexed one hand, baring her claws and beginning to shred the bandages. She wasn't about to let some jealous kitten keep her out of the hunt. The bandages gave way to her claws easily and soon were no more than a pile of rags on the ground.

Now, she was ready.


The few homemakers, and many cougars who were not homemakers, were scurrying busily about cleaning things and putting them on spears to be roasted. At the Festival, there was always enough food for everyone. Not even the old veterans would go hungry. After the cruel winter months, everyone was ready to appreciate the bounty of spring and gorge herself with the plentiful meat.

Lyka perched on a rock, only slightly encumbered by the splintboards over her ribs, devouring the meaty leg of some animal.


Delila stretched her stiff muscles, grinning and cleaning the last of the prey blood from her claws. Maybe she was only a kitten, but she was proud that even despite her injuries from her earlier fight, she'd managed to chase down a pair of small rabbits. They may not have much meat, but they were tasty and the speed and agility required to catch such prey spoke volumes for Delila's potential as a huntress.

Purring softly, betraying her happiness, she took a seat on a rock and set into her portion of meat from the homemakers. Never had a meal tasted so good. Of course, the homemakers went all out for a festival like this, but she had a feeling it had more to do with the fact that this time, she knew she had something to do with supplying food for the tribe and for herself. Something about that made the meat taste even better.