Phoenix Maplewood Teach me, Master

Desna's recovery was remarkable. Even Saena was unable to pull off that sort of stillness sometimes. Surely her bright white coat had a lot to do with it, but still, she was impressed with the youth's ability to remain silent long enough for the hares to get back to their business. This was the hardest part of hunting, and the most crucial. Desna seemed to be quite good at that part, at least. It was the approach that needed work, but it was a simple enough fix.

The alpha female hung back even after Desna gathered back her confidence and launched herself for an attempted takedown. The hare was still a little too alert from the earlier disturbance, though, and it turned on a dime and proved too fleet of foot for the youthful trainee. Saena missed the fall, but as she drew out into the open as the last of the hares disappeared, she noted that Desna had fallen. Concern pierced her heart, but rather than sweeping forward to pick the youth up, she stepped quietly forward, giving Desna more than enough room to pick herself up. This was an important lesson to learn, too. To be a good hunter, you had to be able to take your failures in stride and bolster your own confidence.

"That was very good", the alpha told Desna with a note of approval in her voice. "You have the makings of a very strong hunter". Perhaps Desna would even one day be stronger than Saena herself in the field. It was a thought that made her feel strange—a shot of unfounded jealousy, but also pride. "Your tracking and your waiting were almost flawless. I'm impressed. The only thing I'd do differently is to approach from somewhere else. You chose the bush, but remember, your body is large enough to make the bush rustle. Hiding out in bushes is great, but you want to give yourself an opening to move in while making minimal noise". She paused, then added, "you'd be surprised how your dark coat can allow you to hide in plain sight. Don't feel like you always need to hide in a bush to be unseen. The shadows can be your allies without hindering your movement. As long as you're upwind, some animals won't even spot you 'til you're on top of them".