Hey!
Her paws slapped the ground where the squirrel used to be, nails clicking with dust and mountain grass, and dark head lifting to see a flag of bushy fur disappear amongst the rocks.
Don’t go! Come back!
She leapt forward on her lengthening legs, one of the smaller changes that had begun to overtake her. Though she couldn’t see it herself, Starlette had often heard dad comment one way or another, usually while he groomed her, on how big the white splash of fur on her face was growing. She hadn’t thought much of it until this moment, when she wondered if it was so big and so bright that it had given her place away.
But there wasn’t much she could do about that, and anyway, there were more important thoughts at hand.
She propelled herself with clumsy strides, gaze flitting and nose twitching for the squirrel.
Where had it gone?
yakone padded after her daughter, glimmering with a quiet pride as she watched her pursuit of the squirrel she'd spotted. how big her children had grown already! she smiled as her long strides brought her to starlette's back, silent and watchful for her next move. this was a teachable moment, no doubt, and she did not intend to squander it.
The squirrel seemed to escape her, but Starlette didn't give up her chase. She squirmed forward, crouching down to offer up a sloppy hunt, little tongue sticking out of the corner of her mouth as she darted her eyes back and forth across the ground.
Where had it gone???
She felt a familiar gaze against her. Warm, and welcome. Her mother was often quiet but Starlette found she didn't mind. It was a nice change, from papa's tendency to talk and talk and talk (even though she did like him talking).
Starlette scurried towards the bushes the squirrel had disappeared into. Paused, and listened. The sound of birdsong in the air. The gentle hum of a nearby creek.
No squirrel.
No squirrel.
No squirrel.
Be patient, she could almost hear her father saying, then, blah blah blah blah blah --
Oh, screw this!
The girl charged the bushes in a frenzy of charcoaled paws. Hitting the ground in another clumsy stride -- and missing her footing entirely. A large stone snagged her toes and she found herself careening down a small hillside, only to splash into one of the shallow arms of the creek below.