My mind blanks out for a second as I rush forward, claws digging into the wood. I’m not the first to have this reaction for all the others react the same.
I feel the wind throwing me off so I jump to a neighboring branch, just in time before a brother of mine dashes through my previous spot. He is so quick that I have to watch as he outruns everyone else, arriving there first.
One of the eggs is already being eaten, while I am still far away. Despite all this, I am still among the luckier ones. As the Biggest cat jumps, catching up with the swift one. Selfishly caring only about the food, he shoves everyone out of the way. One fell.
The screeching cry reverberate trough my ears. I face away, trying to ignore it. Yet my lonesome pleas are answered with the sound of a crunch, silencing the source of those horrid wales alongside my hopes, forever more.
The moment I return my gaze towards the nest, to confirm my aim, I halt my steps. The quick one has made an escape with an egg And I with some terrified ones are left out of the brawl. Seven of them are engaged in a fight. Not simple play biting as they normally do, no. In their lack of killing potential they are efficiently trying to push off each other. I turn my head to look for mother in the hope of saving them, but she is gone. She left us to do our own bidding.
This novel's true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.
I climb up a few branches to be out of the fray and watch them with a deep sense of horror. Without mother to tell them what to do the situation is going out of hand. Fortunately, most of my brothers back off, keeping their lives intact. Copying Quick, two of them succeed in stealing an egg for themselves before disappearing. As the last one standing, Big claims the remaining eggs. Which were small, eaten quickly and with ease.
Just as all of them finish their meals. Mother appears out of nowhere, ready to escort us. The night is long and we are hungry still. I believe I underestimated mother, the trace of blood in her smell is an obvious indication the she has caught and finished something off.
Even so, it was most likely just a small rodent or we wouldn't have to be starving. At her command the siblings become obedient, lining up to her in seconds. Naturally, I do the same.
Resuming our wandering which in no means could be called hunting, we follow mother like the loyal offsprings we are. I only see a few smaller animals through the whole night but the noise we make frightens them away. Only mother can walk silently, our large group is easily noticeable from quite a distance.
It's morning as we return to the den, tired. We all pass out without mother’s side to warm us. Tonight three did not return home.