betcha didn't know that i was dangerous (OPEN)

the big gray tabby tom found himself stalking quietly through the woods, for the most part unaware of where he was. the sky was overcast, but it was pleasantly warm, and the air was still, as though in anticipation. when he stumbled upon the murky little pool, he paused to drink and examine the oddly white-gray water. it was barely a paw-length deep, with moss blanketing the cool, muddy ground surrounding it. king peered at the surface of the pool, studying the cutting cerulean eyes that looked back. the water tasted a bit off, and the rogue noticed after he'd finished drinking that many tan, flat topped mushrooms were sprouting from the bottom of the pool. he puzzled this in silence for a moment, standing partially submerged with his long, striped tail resting on the surface of the water. 

a moment later, a gentle breeze picked up, brushing the fluffy fur inside of his ears and bringing a mouthwatering scent to his nose. the tom cat pricked an ear and slowly turned to see a fat black rabbit, several fox lengths away. it had its back to him and didn't seem to have noticed him nearby, wraith-like and silent as he was. he watched the silky, jet-furred creature as it rooted around the ground nose-first, perhaps munching on some dandelion stems or a bit of dew laden grass. king slowly padded through the pool, barely disturbing its surface. as he came to stand on the moist earth that was its bank, he slunk down into a low crouch, belly fur brushing the ground.

you're mine now, little rabbit the predator thought, before racing across the ground, barely making a sound before he pounced upon the creature. it let out a grunt of surprise, kicking out with hind paws. the rabbit was young though, soft and not very strong. a yearling, maybe. it knocked him in the shoulder and sharp, gnarled claws made his skin burn. though it did little to dislodge him in terms of physical strength, the pain surprised him and king let out a soft growl of fury. heart pounding in its little ribcage, survival instincts took over and the rabbit took off as fast as it could manage. 

king gave chase, having regained his composure. as trees flashed alongside the two and began to thin out, prey and predator both began to tire. the tabby was bigger though, and used to going hungry for days at a time. lean muscle stretched over his frame, leaving no room for an ounce of fat. for a few seconds, it seemed that the rabbit may have the upperhand, er, paw, as it raced up a grassy hill, using powerful haunches to launch itself a good distance from the cat, who was having difficulty with the sudden incline. blood pulsed in king's ears, roaring; adrenaline tuned his senses as they came to the deep drop off. there was a coursing river down below, echoing the blood in the tom's ears, almost drowning out the heartbeat that pounded in his own chest. 

for a moment, just a moment, his prey balked at the danger ahead. it could leap to certain death, or it could turn back and run directly into death's hungry jaws. as it faced this indecision, eyes wide with fear, king lunged and drug it back from the gorge, pinning it and killing it with a rapid strike to the neck. then, satisfied, he carried the body away from the gorge and lay down with the rabbit's plump body splayed across both paws. its warmth exhilarated him as he sank his teeth in for the first bite, ripping away at its fur.

and so the day, still young, found the big gray tabby and his fluffy companion not far from the gorge, unknowingly in windclan territory. king continued to savor the meat of his kill, further enjoying the moment as the clouds parted and allowed warm sunlight to spill through onto his fur. 


tagged: open to anyone in windclan, or another clanless cat if they happened to be wandering as well, i suppose!