The gentle golden Hattori girl stepped carefully over the squelching mud. Her dainty ivory toes found purchase over the twisted and knarled trunk of an ancient fallen oak. She had noticed the healer's and crafters' stock of porcupine needles and pins was getting rather low. Without a word to anyone, she decided to restock them herself. She had seen the healers use them a time or two but had not used one herself yet.

The dripping wet off the bright greening trees fell around her as she lifted her ebony nose to the sky. She took a deep breath, she could have sworn she had just scented the prickly beast around here before, but the wet and the mud must be hiding its scent.

Hmm... She hadn't seen tracks of a porcupine before, she didn't know what to look for if she did find them, even if the mud holds tracks well. The wind picked up briefly and sent a cascade of drips off the leaves and over her fur, making her draw in a sharp breath as the cold water slithered into her light silky fur, making her suddenly shiver and shake her fur out. Which in turn made her lose her precarious footing with a foot landed in the wet mud with a squish and a quiet yelp.

She sighed. Not much for it now, she continued to carefully pick her way over the growing ivy, not caring as much if her feet got muddy anymore. Her nose hovered over the plants and rotten wood to see if she could catch the scent.

265/1500

Taiga had agreed to become a part of Tojo Kai. It was an interesting notion, something new. The lioness had made sure to let Hattori know that she would be spending the majority of her time in the little koi garden with the kittens, but she was more than willing to help train anyone in fighting or hunting if needed. That was how she joined forces with Asahi, one of Hattori's yearlings.

Taiga the cave lioness padded silently through the dense underbrush, her ears twitching at every sound. She kept her body low, muscles tense, ready to spring at any moment. Beside her, Asahi, the wolf pup, moved with surprising grace for her age, her sharp eyes scanning the forest floor.

They were on a mission to find porcupines. Their quills were invaluable, perfect for making needles and pens—tools essential for survival and communication. Taiga didn't know the territory all that well. Having recently come to this part of the world, she hadn't yet had time to explore and get to know her surroundings. That didn't matter much today. Today, she had a specific goal. Porcupines.

Taiga glanced at Asahi, who was sniffing the air, trying to catch a scent. Her enthusiasm reminded her of her younger days. The young pup was intent on learning hunting and healing. Porcupine quills would play into both of those skills. They had to hunt the porcupines to gather the quills used for healing. They went hand in hand.

As they moved deeper into the forest, Taiga's thoughts wandered to the last time she had encountered porcupines. They were elusive creatures, more nocturnal than diurnal, and they required patience to find. She knew their habits well enough to predict their movements but locating them was still a challenge.

The sun was setting, casting long shadows across the forest floor. Taiga knew this was the time when porcupines would start to stir. She motioned for Asahi to follow her lead, and they shifted their focus to areas with dense foliage and thick underbrush—places where porcupines liked to hide.

Suddenly, Taiga's ears perked up. She heard a rustling sound, distinct and deliberate. She signaled to Asahi, who immediately went still, both their eyes fixed in the direction of the noise. Taiga crouched lower, her muscles coiled, ready to pounce if necessary.

She moved forward slowly, each step deliberate and silent. The rustling grew louder, and she could smell the distinct, musky scent of a porcupine. It was close. Taiga's heart quickened, not from fear but from the thrill of the hunt. She motioned for Asahi to stay back. This was delicate work, and she didn't want the pup to get hurt.

Taiga crept forward until she saw it—a porcupine, busy foraging. Its quills glinted in the fading light, a clear warning to any predator. Taiga knew she had to be careful. One wrong move and she could end up with a face full of painful quills.

She studied the porcupine's movements, waiting for the right moment. It turned its back to her, and she seized the opportunity. With a swift, calculated leap, Taiga pounced, pinning the porcupine with her powerful paws. The creature struggled, but Taiga's grip was firm. She avoided its quills, knowing exactly how to handle it without getting hurt.

She hoped that Asahi was watching and picking up on the necessary skills to do this herself in the future. Taiga quickly dispatched the porcupine, making sure not to damage the valuable quills. Once it was safe, she called Asahi over. The pup approached cautiously, sniffing the porcupine with curiosity.

"And we have a porcupine," she said to Asahi, humor in her low tones. With the creature dead, Taiga let the girl inspect it. There was no risk of getting poked unless she tried to. They had achieved their goal, but there was still more work to be done. Taiga started extracting the quills, using her claws and teeth with precision. Asahi watched intently, eager to learn.

The process took time, and the forest grew darker around them. Taiga remained focused, her movements steady and deliberate. She had done this before, and each time it required the same level of care. Porcupine was decent eating, after all. You did have to get past the quills first. She'd done alright this time and had received only a prick or two to her paws as she held the beast down. By the time she was finished plucking the quills away, the pair of ladies had a pretty impressive pile. It would definitely last the pack for quite some time.

Wrapping the quills up in a scrap of oiled cloth, Taiga gave the bundle to Asahi to carry. The lioness picked up the mostly naked porcupine and the pair set off for home. They would have their quills and a nice snack to boot.

WC- 810
Total-1075/1500

"Speech!"

Code © Skelle/Witchdogtor DO NOT USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

Asahi rejoined the great cat as she slunk by. Trying to mirror Taiga's movements carefully. The way Taiga moved was even more graceful and elegant than her sisters, and maybe if she learned how to move like Taiga she would be less clumsy.

The scent she had been searching for before crossed her nose and she lifted it to catch more of it, her golden eye bright and eager. She wanted to show Taiga just how good a hunter she was! Impress the great cat with her actions!

The golden Hattori girl watched Taiga carefully as they moved through the forest, the pup's impatience already showing in her quickly moving ears and flick of her tail. But the coolness of Taiga every time Asahi glanced at her would remind Asahi to have patience while they tracked the porcupine silently. She was glad Taiga didn't expect her to talk much. Asahi preferred not to, she never had anything important to say regardless.

Asahi tried to keep her huffs of impatience to herself as the light began to fade. Night would be soon and she didn't know that it was the perfect time to hunt porcupines. The cat motioned silently for the girl to follow her, and the pup did, wide eyes and ears alert. She watched where the cat was looking and would pause to peer into the darker bushes herself, trying to catch sight of the prickly beast.

The scent caught her attention over the sound, Oh! That must be the porcupine! It smelled like the needles but a thousand times stronger. She went still as they both zeroed in on the sound's source. Asahi mimicked the cat's movements until Taiga motioned her to stay back and Asahi's ears and eyes portrayed her confusion. She made to step forward but a sharp look from Taiga made her freeze and accept her status as an observer. She slowly blew her through her nose to ease her frustration.

Through the foliage Asahi watched, silently crawling forward to at least keep the hunt within view. She saw the quill laden creature and Taiga beyond it. When the creature turned away from Taiga, the pup pushed forward to grab its attention but she didn't need to, Taiga was already on the creature with a silent thump. Wide eyed she watched the creature's life force ebb away as it was crushed and quickly dispatched, disappointed she hadn't gotten a chance to get it herself and show Taiga her ability. Such was the life of a silent girl she guessed. Everyone assumed you were stupid and mute. Well, at least she got to see Taiga in action and hoped to make similar moves in the future.

She was finally called forward and Asahi dutifully approached, sniffing the porcupine, taking in its scent, and committing it to memory. She nodded curtly to Taiga with a polite smile as she proclaimed their kill! She quickly went to work right alongside the cat in carefully extracting the quills and claws wherever she could reach.

When it was dark out and they had finished extracting the precious quills, Asahi took the oiled bag and walked dutifully next to Taiga homeward, mimicking the cat's movements as they went. She wanted to learn how to move as silently as Taiga did.

wc: 549
total: 1500+