Stardate 2384.019 on the Planet Cait

  Hr'af found J'Tal and S'Grirr easily. They did nothing to mask their scent or to hide their tracks. He used the opportunity to hide and sneak up on the pair to teach them a lesson. Skulking on the forest floor he gave them a chance to spot or hear him. They were both to invested in searching the ground than paying attention to their surroundings as suggested by Hr'af.

  S'Grirr was still upset and not talking and J'Tal just stayed with him like a mother would, just waiting for her brother to open up when he finally felt the need. "Do you think he loves us?"

  J'Tal pounced on a critter on the ground then uncovered it with her paws. The bug was gone and she lifted her legs up one by one wondering where it went. "I do, and you should too"

  He turned and watched where she was trying to spot the same long black bug with wings that refused to fly. The Nemot had set itself on J'Tal's tail. It knew what it was doing, her golden fur had a sparing of black here and there. Her tail was completely black and she missed it when she scanned her surroundings. S'Grirr did not, he froze staring at it, concentrating on its movement. The snap of a twig nearby caused them both to gasp. Hr'af jumped out and roared the bug sped off into the foliage. The two fell over crying out, scared out of their minds. J'Tal got up first watching her snickering older brother "That's not funny!" she yelled as loud as she could to let him know she was not amused.

  S'Grirr curled up into a ball trying to hide his own tears. Hr'af was their brother and he was their parent. He was leaving, when, Hr'af did not say. He only knew his life was going to change and that didn't sit well with him. Hr'af was worried for S'Grirr, he was the smallest, youngest, and the most emotional of the triplets. "I bring you out here every day to prepare you for the Great Hunt. Eventually one of you will be the hunted. Right now it looks like Cr'oa has it in him to be the clan victor."

  "I don't want it to be him." S'Grirr buried his face into his paws. His tail lay flat on the ground flipping up its end very slowly. "He wins everything. How did he get to be so much bigger than us. We are the same age?"

  J'Tal walked over to S'Grirr and batted his tail when it moved. He didn't stop or complain when she did. This was how she told him he was going to be ok. Enticing him to jump and attack her would get him out of his mood. "Maybe you shouldn't think of Cr'oa as your competition, you still need to get past me and right now" she steps on his tail holding it to the ground *You are losing."

  Hr'af watched the two of them never having experiencing a sibling his age or size. They didnt feel like siblings, but they were family and he was saddened by his desire to leave. They would be fine without him but after the Great Hunt in a couple weeks they would be without their brother. "If you want to be better than Cr'oa you have to be more aggressive. He knows what he wants and right now he wants to be found." he thought that would be enough to at least get J'Tal to move but S'Grirr would need more motivation. "Cr'oa is hiding right now I came back here to let him have a head start. Help me find him and I will tell you a special story."

  His brothers head popped up and turned toward him the two of them were interested in a new story. The Caitian's were very artistic. Stories, sculpting, painting, even cooking could be considered an art form. For these two, stories Hr'af told them were like reliving the memories of their predecesors. S'Grirr and J'Tal agreed and got up and went with Hr'af back to where Cr'oa left Hr'af.

  "Ok well tell me what you see right now that will tell us where he went?" the two looked at the ground, sniffing trying to figure out which set was their brothers and which was someone else's. They both concluded a set of tracks to the North were Cr'oa's. "Why these and not any of the others?"

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

  They sat in silence wondering who was going to speak first. J'Tal spoke first "I can smell him here"

  S'Grirr nodded but it looked like he had something else on his mind. Hr'af looked at him and waited till S'Grirr said "I can smell him too but the claw marks also note they are his as well"

  Hr'af nodded but questioned them "Why this track and not that one over there where his tracks are as well?" he knew they were right but why chase a prey without knowing for sure.

  S'Grirr went to the other path. it had Cr'oa's scent. He sniffed it again "This isn't it, the feet are going the way we came" Hr'af was going to ask a follow up question J'Tal butted in "Those are older as well, the scent isnt as fresh" she guessed not knowing for sure

  Hr'af laughed and asked her "at six years old you can already tell the difference between thirty minutes and thirty two minutes. My my young one," he jokingly said "You have bested me at this game if you, at your age, can truly tell which path is older by two minutes"

  J'Tal looked somber and S'Grirr bumped her and said "He knows we are right, he is stalling. We have a brother to catch" S'Grirr started forward following the path they knew Cr'oa had taken.

  Further in the forest

  Cr'oa was running as fast as he could to get some ground betwen him and his siblings. He wanted this more than anything, this would prove he is worthy of being one of the few to best Hr'af. The Caitian who from the age of ten was able to be the perfect hunter and the perfect prey. He knew he could best his brother if he spent every day hiding and trying to stay one step ahead of his siblings.

  His movements were getting more precise and energy usage was also diminishing. His entire life he wanted nothing more than to be hidden from the rest of the clan when they found their parents would never come home again. He couldn't show any emotions at least not like his brother or sister, he was the eldest and had to act the part. Ten minutes after bounding off North toward the mountains the area started to get rocky. Perfect he thought. This will be easier to stay hidden.

  Cr'oa had never been this direction at least not by himself. He caught a few prints in the ground but none that were larger than his own. This did not mean he took the area as safe, too many stories were told to him by Hr'af and their cousins of deep dwelling animals. He wasnt sure if they existed or not, but his instincts told him something else was out here.

  He came across a creek and remembered what Hr'af told him. Water would mask his scent but he would need to swim and either go up against the current or down the current. He considered both paths and knew what was at stake. He chose up river knowing full well it would be harder and he would lose time in getting away. However if Hr'af allowed them to make the choice his younger siblings would take the easier route he just needed to make it look like he went with the current.

  Cr'oa walked the edge of the creekbed letting his paws dig into the rocky beach. He touched trees very casually here and there giving the impression he wasnt as good as he thought he was. Then he dug his heels in and leapt into the water leaving behind a nice sized hole. He swam across and placed his paw on the ground again making a mark but he never left the water.

  Cr'oa turned back and started to swim up the creek. It wasnt strong but it wasn't easy either. There were times when he thought about going to the side of the creek and he would finally catch a rock that allowed him to stand and take a breather. He jumped into the water again pushing himself to the fullest of his own limits. This is my existence, I am the hunter, I am the prey that will never be found he repeated these words to himself over and over motovating him.

  Watching from high above the mountain a large scaly creature spotted the young Caitian. Its large form slowly adjusted its position keeping an eye on a meal that was heading in its direction. Its numerous teeth opened wide crunching its last victim, the Caitian would be a nice dessert.

  Cr'oa kept going for another fifteen minutes trying to go as far as he could but his energy ran out and he was at the base of the mountain. Rocks were easier to find right next to the creek bed hiding his prints. The sun was still high so whatever water he would bring out would have a chance at evaporating in the heat before anyone caught his trick and found a trail to him.

  The scaled reptile got off its belly and shook tossing the battered body of what resembled a goat to the side. Blood was dropping from its teeth and fur lined chin. it let out a growl before heading out of its cave in search of a young and tasty snack.