birthday surprise!

A crisp fog rolled through the forest that morning. Lingering close to the floor that was covered in pine needles and frost. Hardly a whisper could be heard as the first few rays of dawn peaked over the surrounding mountain. Winter was making a quick appearance, bitter and freezing. Snow had already begun to blanket the plains and col, fighting to make its way down to the floor of the forest through the treetops. For now, there was only a dusting that she could see. Just enough that one could easily see small tracks making their way to and fro, darting across and down the various game trails. That is what she was after. From her previous lessons with her mother, Ursa knew she had to be awake before the stars disappeared if she wanted to capture what she wanted.

There was a special occasion for this. She had overheard her parents chatting about her grandfather's birthday. He was turning ten! Ursa honestly couldn't fathom being ten years old. That sounded ancient to her young puppy mind. But it sounded important too! Something that needed to be celebrated and she wanted to help! He should be celebrated! He was a cool grandpa after all! So Ursa was determined to catch her own snow hare. They had come down from the northern regions of Boreas. Twice the size of the normal rabbits that lived nearby, she had been watching the hares make themselves known. Large hind paw prints and itty bitty front prints that leaped and hopped across the fine blanket of snow. Their nearby burrows were easy enough to sniff out, especially this early in the morning.

Slipping from the front doorway, she had already informed her father of her plan. He had agreed as long as she stayed near the den and then headed straight for the Col. No wandering, no lollygagging, straight there. Ursa was a good girl. She didn't break rules, she followed them; so she was determined to keep her father happy.

At first, her paws made a loud crunch as she exited the den. Both ears turned forward as her eyes widened and looked down at the frosted ground. Her muzzle scrunches as she understands it will be more difficult now that it will be harder to be quiet. Inhaling deeply, she keeps her eyes closed for a moment before starting forward. Picking her paws up delicately, she steps down with caution. The first few steps are still a bit noisy but soon even out until she is barely heard. She kept herself rather low to the ground, tail lifted for balance, eyes forward, searching for a recent scent trail. There, not far from the covered garden, she can see fresh scat and tracks. Turning to follow the trail, Ursa picks up her pace, already panting slightly from the exertion. Unlike most of her siblings, she had put on some weight and was having difficulty keeping it off.

Still, she would persist, no matter how warm her body felt or how sticky her tongue felt in her mouth. The snow hare was close. Its pungent but sweet scent was strong as she lowered her nose to the ground. Her belly grumbled quietly as she moved into a loping pace. Eating up the ground with her growing legs, Ursa burst through the brush. Getting the jump on the hare as it nibbled on a few leaves, she ignored the scream it released. If she focuses on it, she will feel terrible, but there's no turning back now. Her paws grab around its shoulders as her jaw latches on to its neck. Digging her rear paws in to stop her momentum, she begins to shake her head until the hare's red beady eyes go dark and its body goes limp. Only a few speckles of blood tinge her ivory and navy lips.

Proud of herself, Ursa wastes no more time. Turning back, she heads to the den and stops in the doorway to show her parents. Her tail wags happily as they congratulate her and see her on her way. Making her way from the woods to the col's warrens at a slower pace than she had during her hunt, she allowed her lungs to suck in the icy air and her heart rate to lower. Hunting was hard work! She holds her catch high up, her chin turned to the sky, as she practically prances through the warrens. Eager to give her grandfather his birthday gift, Ursa makes her way to his den. Hoping that it is early enough in the morning to still catch him asleep, the small pup approaches the doorway. Glancing in, her lavender eyes look about the dark room.

"Grampa?" Ursa calls out around the hare that is still hanging from her jaws.