The haunted forest

[Nine]

This was a big place - bigger than she had realized at first - and it was easy enough for the newborn to get turned around. After meeting a couple of creatures near a big puddle, she had scampered off in to the forest. All the trees looked the same to her. They were tall and covered in red-gold leaves, most of which were too high for her to see. For the first few hours Hera scampered through the shadows of their boughs, slipping between trunks or over the awkwardly sprawling roots (sometimes getting stuck) but there was no apparent way out. For all she knew, she was going in circles!

What was more important than that, was her hunger. She had never been so hungry! The rumble of her stomach was akin to hearing a voice shout doom no matter where she turned. Aside from the birds in the trees which tittered and chirped around her, there was no evidence of a meal anywhere. The youngster had to keep moving - it was the only thing she could think of to do - but each passing moment made her hungrier, and by default, weaker. "Ohhh, I'm so hungry.." the girl drawled, as she finally slumped against a big brown trunk. The birds whistled and Hera, feeling the pain of her defeat, scowled up at them. "Yeah I know you're there! Come down here and... And I'll show you whose boss! Stupid birds... grrmph.."

[Twilight]

It had been a long time since she left the orchard, and though she had not grown much, the golden reptile practically flew through the forest floor, her arms out with the feathers spread like wings, aiding her make tight turns along with her tail. That maneuverability was serving her well now, as she dashed after a quail like bird with golden feathers, matching it step for step over the twisting roots of the trees. Twice she thought she had the bird in her claws, where it had unintentionally run into a corner, but each time it would jump and fly with its small wings to pass the obstacle in its way, making Kuno take a leap to accomplish the same and not lose sight of her lunch.

Kuno turned and jumped over logs and roots, gaining on her prey for a third time, and this time her claws were out fully and her sights on grabbing the bird before it could fly. The quail ran up a fallen tree and leapt off the broken end, narrowly avoiding Kuno's snapping jaws. Another leap and it was over a furry body, and Kuno didn't give the feline a glance as she jumped onto its back, using it as a spring to leap high over the fleeing bird. In a second, she came down and landed on the prey's back, grasping its neck in her jaws before making an end of it with a swift snap to the side. Only when the bird was dead did Kuno turn to look at the feline she had jumped off it, still holding the golden orange bird in her jaws.

The feline didn't seem injured, and from the scent carried on a light breeze it was also female. Kuno snorted through her nose and dropped the bird so that she could speak, "Well you look pathetic sitting there like the world is against you." she said very bluntly.