Cool For Cats (solo)

[Xnnn]

Fall 6, 512 The tawny coat blended in almost perfectly with the surrounding grass, now golden in the dry conditions of early Fall. It crouched low, shoulders down, beneath the level of the blades that susurrated together in the light breeze. Hazel eyes rimmed in kohl were fixed, pupils dilated, and the only part of the cougar’s body to be seen moving was the faintest twitch of a nostril, as it confirmed its target with scent. Even the tip of its long tail was now still, its muscles bunched, ready to pounce. The small deer was head down, grazing upwind, all unsuspecting. Its tail switched back and forth, as its hide trembled to rid itself of the fat, hungry flies. One step closer it came. Then two. With the next placement of the off foreleg, the cat leapt into action. With graceful ease, it covered six meters in the first movement, to land right on top of the already turning doe. Her senses had alerted her at the last moment, and instead of the back of her neck, the big cat’s teeth sunk into her haunch. Both front paws clamped down on the rear leg, and as the deer bucked and skipped, the cat held on, digging claws and fangs in deeper. Inflicting disabling injuries wasn’t enough though. It needed to get to the neck or throat – to either sever the spinal cord or crush the windpipe. Using its weight to its advantage, the cougar shoved and pushed until the staggering doe fell onto its side. That was certainly the beginning of the end. The struggle lasted another minute, the cat inching its way up until it could clamp down on the soft throat. Legs still kicking, and then twitching, and then still, the doe’s frantic expression finally gave way to the glassy eyed mask of death newly arrived. Panting, the cat rested on top of its prize for a minute or so. Regaining its breath, it rose, only to crouch back down over the soft belly and make the first ripping entry into its hard won feast. Granted, the four year old male was getting better at this game of survival. A year before, he had been here, in the great sea of grass, but further south, and almost starving. But time and travel and need had honed his hunting skills. Now he could bring down a deer, and didn’t have to exist on voles and marmots. He ate his fill, and an hour later, with a distended mid-drift, he used his paws, front and back, to pull and scratch grass, dirt and leaf litter over the remains. Trotting off to the stream that ran nearby, he sated his thirst, and then returned to rest some few feet from his cache. Hidden in the concealing grass, he licked his chops and then proceeded to clean the blood from his face and chest, legs and paws. Finally cleaned to his satisfaction, he drowsed, eyes half closed, knowing they were near. Near enough to go to, easily. He could feel it, smell it. He was home.

[Xnnn]

He rested, and slept, as the sun finally dipped low on the horizon. With the call of a lark, Xnnn woke, rolling back up to lie on his chest and stomach. The sky above was the deep, beautiful cobalt of early evening, though on the horizon streaks of orange and crimson lit up the underbellies of the clouds that were gathering there. Rain was on its way, he could smell it, though it would not come until morning. Rising, he stretched and in a brief flash of brilliance, where a cougar had stood on four paws, a man now stood on two bare feet. The rest of him was bare as well, but he padded over to a spot at the bottom of a low rock outcropping, and retrieved the pack that had proved so petching cumbersome all these long, lonely miles. Pulling out some clothes, he dragged them on, feeling the now unfamiliar scratch of fabric against his skin. A pair of boots followed, although he preferred to go barefoot. But knowing that his dulled senses might not detect the warning rustle of a snake, he thought it best to pull on the leather coverings. Slinging the pack over one shoulder, he set out, south, to the migrant city that he had only ever heard of and never before laid eyes on. An hour or so he walked, south and then a little west. He had no skill with webbing, but his instincts, even in human form, were enough to guide him. His purpose was simple, and direct. His mother was from this land. And her mother and her mother before her. His father was…unknown. A seed planted in his mother’s womb in order to provide labor – or food – for the Zith. The most marked connection he had to any semblance of a place that he belonged were the swirling marks on his skin – not true windmarks, no. He didn’t even know what a strider was. But his poor mother had placed them there herself, so he would remember, who he was. Each step was taking him closer to finding out who that person was. Xnnn? Achym? Or maybe…someone utterly and brand new.

[Xnnn]

He walked on and the sun was no more than a sliver of light on the horizon, to his right, when he heard them. Behind him. There were six, or maybe seven. Eight? He came to a halt and turned to look back, and they kept coming, at a slow, steady pace. Their cadent stride reached his ears and his bones too, and his nose prickled at their slightly foreign scent. He had been around horses before, in Nyka. But these were… different. Xnnn turned fully around and watched them, and they stopped, about twenty paces away. Seven in all, he counted. Seven finely shaped heads. Seven pairs of intelligent eyes. Bodies ranging from gold to dun, and one that looked blue-black in the fading light. Scrub brush manes sticking up from thin necks. Bottle brush tails still swishing even thought the daytime flies were long gone. They didn’t look like full grown beasts, and in fact, they were some of this seasons weanlings. The adults they were associated with must be close by, but he didn’t see them. Xnnn looked at the seven and they stared back at him, with an expectant air. This lasted a good minute, and finally, with a shrug, Xnnn turned and began to walk away. He didn’t know where they had come from, or what they wanted with him, if anything, and he had a city to find, somewhere out here in the grass. He knew immediately that one at least still followed in his wake, and he looked over his shoulder, to see the silvery-dark form leaving its mates behind and stepping carefully with fluid grace in his footsteps. He watched, for a moment, then turned his gaze forward again. He did not walk faster, but his shadow was gaining on him, he knew. After a dozen paces or so, he looked again and the young horse was no more than ten steps behind him. He came to a halt and turned around, and the weanling stopped as well, just looking at him, intently. Xnnn frowned. To him a horse was just so much meat on the hoof. He couldn’t fathom why this one was pursuing him, as many prey animals seemed to sense his other, predator self and got slightly nervous around him. This one seemed attracted to him, though. But he made no attempt to shoo it away, or to dissuade it from its enigmatic little game. Turning back in the direction in which he knew the city lay, he began to walk again. But this time he moved at a faster pace. His ears told him his shadow too moved faster, so he began to trot. The hoofbeats sounded, closer, and Xnnn began to lope. Being chased by a horse was kind of freaking him out, and though he maintained his typical flat expression, he began to run in earnest, as the animal began to quickly close the small distance between them. It too was now trotting along, though this was probably no exertion for an animal built for speed. When Xnnn heard the shift in pace to that of a slow lope, he turned his head back over his shoulder one last time. Big mistake. Graceful feline he might be, in his other form. But at that very moment, not looking, he tripped over a tough clump of grass, and fell flat on his face. For a moment, he thought the beast behind him might not stop – either by volition or because it simply could not, in time. He had just time to turn his head sideways, to see four sharp hooves and a slightly pot belly rise up and sail over him. The weanling landed easily three paces away, and took another few to bring itself down to a trot and then a walk. Head bobbing, it moved in a circle to come back to him. Resting his upper body weight on his elbows, still sprawled out on his stomach, Xnnn looked at the animal. It came right up to him, slowing its pace, and lowering its head. Right between its dark eyes was a milky patch, shaped roughly like a diamond. It came to a halt, and stuck its muzzle out, touching his face, blowing softly. Its breath was warm and sweet smelling, though Xnnn didn’t view other animals as most humans might, not in terms of cuteness or beauty or as potential companions. He looked into its eyes, though, and had some sense of its desire, its will, to be with him. From blowing in his face, it proceeded to reach with its nimble lips, and nibbled at his totally scraggy, unkempt hair. Then it wooshed in his ear and threw its head up, almost as if to say, ‘Come on! Get up! We haven’t got all day.’ Slowly, he pushed himself up, first to his knees, where he sat back on his heels, hands on his thighs, contemplating this unwanted and uninvited comrade. The weanling blew through its nostrils again and shook it head, with a little snort. Xnnn made a face and rose to his feet. He gave the horse one last look, then moved off, walking past it. It fell into step beside him, and together they walked the remaining short distance to the city.

[Jackalope]

Results! Xnnn : Experience +1 Stealth +1 Hunting +1 Unarmed Combat Lore The Thrill of the Hunt An Uninvited Companion Good quick read. Hope you got an acceptable answer for your questions. PM with comments, questions, or concerns!