The smacking of the two lynxes filled the entire cave as they ate the many small birds whose scent wafted around them. The snow that lay at the entrance and reflected the light provided enough light for Valja and Salim to see. The setting sun, however, could not be seen, as the sky was still covered by bright clouds that did not look as if they would disappear in the next few days. It was more like they wanted to bring more snow.

"Dad?" Valja's voice caused Salim to lift his head and look at her questioningly. "I... um, I have a confession to make." The lynx could clearly see her hesitate and swallow the last morsel of her meal before raising her voice again.

"I know I've mourned my brother for a long time and missed far too much of the training. But... I've caught up on everything you wanted. I know all the fighting techniques inside and out, I can hunt to my fill. And..." Her dark, golden eyes flashed uncertainly for a moment and Salim flapped his tail anxiously. He suspected what she was getting at, but he couldn't admit it yet. Not until she had said it.

"I think I'm ready for the exam, Salim." Her father swallowed slightly and lowered his eyes briefly. She wanted to take the test that would give her permission to move away and find another territory. She would then be on her own, without him to protect her. But he forced himself to nod timidly.

And yet it felt right to say the words his mother had once told him: "All right, Valja. You've studied hard to prepare yourself for life outside my protective paws. Go, if you think you're ready." Valya nodded.

"I consider myself ready." An excited gleam entered her eyes and her whiskers twitched nervously. Salim knew she was adequately prepared, even if she had missed so many moons. He had wanted to teach her everything as quickly as he could, to repeat everything she had forgotten.

"Your test will begin tomorrow morning. If your ancestors agree with your nature, you will be a free lynx in two days." Even though it hurt to say the words, he knew he had to. And the excited nodding on his daughter's side gave him the certainty that there could be nothing better for her than to roam through foreign territories and discover the world. Even if there were dangers out there, which hardly seemed to deter her.

"Then I'll lie down now. I have to be fit tomorrow”, she said and made herself comfortable on the soft moss in the cave. Salim could see her struggling to finally fall asleep, but her enthusiasm prevented her from doing so.

The lynx buried the bones and feathers in the snow outside and then joined his daughter. She was warm and dry, not like the snow, and he snuggled up close to her. He had to enjoy this feeling while she was still here. He would miss her so much, but he also knew that this was the whole point of raising kittens. That one day they would leave their family and move far away to start their own. Even if that had to be difficult for everyone.

By now, Salim could feel Valja's steady breathing, so he concluded that she had finally fallen asleep.

"Sleep well”, he murmured and licked her forehead briefly. He didn't know how he was going to cope with life without her. Under no circumstances did he want to replace her, because that seemed almost impossible. How could you replace someone like his Valja? All the memories, her smells and jokes, the pranks, her laughter, her eyes. None of this could be surpassed by another lynx.

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The next morning, it wasn't the sun shining in as usual that woke him up, but Valja's fidgeting. He opened his eyes sleepily and could see her trying to free herself from his embrace, then getting up and finally starting to clean her fur. A grin crept onto his lips.

He opened his mouth to yawn, attracting Valja's attention.

"Morning", she mumbled, still in the middle of grooming and barely looking up. Salim stood up and gave her a brief nod. He gave her time to wash herself and could see her mind working. After what felt like an eternity, she lowered her paws again and nodded a little tensely.

"I'm ready." Together they rose and trotted out of the den.

Ice-cold snowy air hit Salim and he involuntarily grimaced. His head wasn't quite as hairy and so the cold was much more of a problem. He very much hoped that Valja would not be disturbed by this. A sideways glance told him that she was shivering all over, just slightly. Whether from the cold or from excitement, he couldn't tell.

They took a few steps away from the cave until they sat down under a tree in a slightly more open area.

"You know how it will go?", Salim asked as a precaution, even though he already knew the answer. He had told her about it far too often, especially during the moons, which had been characterized solely by grief. Valja nodded tensely.

"Good, then your test of moving out will begin now." Salim really couldn't say he was any less excited than she was. After all, this was a day that would decide everything. About whether she had to stay with him for another moon, whether she would gain respect from her ancestors and her biological father. "Let's start with the law of the Lynx Circle. Can you tell me all 10 laws? Take all the time you need."

But Valja didn't hesitate two heartbeats before she opened her mouth and rattled off each one:

"Only kill if there is no other option and only hunt as much as you need. Respect and honor other lynx and avoid unnecessary fights. Talk to your ancestors in your dreams before you seek your own territory. Avoid the territory of other lynxes, but take in any kitten you find. Follow the death ritual. Always be honest and avoid any lies." Salim immediately got a guilty conscience when he thought about the lie of the Night of Color. Even though he told himself that it had been for her own good, he simply didn't have the courage to tell her the truth. He was afraid of the consequences of these words, which he had spoken so bluntly that she lost herself in her grief again.

Valja hesitated briefly, thinking hard, before stating the last law: "Respect and honor the law of the Lynx Circle."

Relieved, she began to smile when Salim nodded and told her that every word she had said was correct. A feeling of pride spread through the lynx. She had mastered the first task with ease, even if he had to admit that it had probably been the easiest of the following ones. She still had seven different tests to pass and he hoped so much that she would succeed. It would mean so much to her and he was a little afraid that she would fail. That she would spend several more moons in the cave, dejected.

That would probably be his and her downfall.