Hunter by Eric Walters

Author:Eric Walters
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: JUV002050, book
Publisher: Orca Book Publishers
Published: 2012-09-01T04:00:00+00:00

Sixteen

“Is it any better today?” Mittens asked.

“A little better,” Hunter said. That was a lie.

Mittens wasn’t convinced, but she knew better than to question him further. He had been in the den for three nights and three days. He had only left for a couple of brief trips above ground. It had been three days since he’d had anything more than the tidbits of food Mittens had brought down into the den for him. Unable to hunt, barely able to walk, he hadn’t been able to gather food for himself, or for her and their kittens. If it hadn’t been for the boy and the others bringing food, they would have starved. Every night the kittens attempted to hunt, but without Hunter to guide them, they’d come back with nothing.

“It was very brave what you did,” she said.

“It was very stupid!” he snapped.

“Those dogs would have killed that kitten if you hadn’t acted.”

“And instead they…” He stopped himself. He almost said they had killed him instead. But he didn’t want Mittens or the kittens to hear. If he couldn’t hunt, how would they survive? He knew his foot wasn’t healing. It was getting more painful by the day.

“If I had been there, I would have helped,” she said.

“Then there would have been two of us hurt,” he said.

“But thanks to you, nobody died.”

Not yet, he thought, not yet.

“I’m going to go out hunting with the kittens,” she said.

“It’s dangerous,” he said.

“We’ll be careful. You’ve taught the kittens well. You’ve taught us all well. Why don’t you come up and see us off.”

“I’m going to stay in the den,” he said.

“No, you’re not. You need to get out.”

“I’m better to stay—”

“No!” she snapped. “This is my den and you’re going to go out, right now!”

And it was her den. She was the mother.

Hunter could have argued with her, but he didn’t. “Whatever you say.”

He followed her up the incline of the tunnel to the surface. Each step sent a bolt of pain through his paw.

“Now, isn’t that better?” she said.

“Much,” he said. He sat down, the paw touching the ground but bearing no weight.

The kittens, their kittens, all gathered around.

“I need you all to be careful,” he said.

“Yes, Father,” one said, and the rest of them nodded in agreement.

“Work together. Remember to watch out for each other.”

“We will,” another replied.

“Be careful of cars, humans and dogs, especially dogs.”

They nodded solemnly in agreement. They were good kittens.

“Wish us luck,” Mittens said.

“Good luck,” he said. But he thought they would need more than luck.

They left, leaving Hunter behind. But he wasn’t alone. Other cats in the colony were nearby and watched him. He knew what they were thinking. He had heard bits of conversations and overheard the questions. The colony was completely divided. Some, mainly the females and especially the mothers, saw him as a hero. Others thought him a fool to have rescued the kitten and that he should have minded his own business.

Mittens hadn’t been in the wild long enough to know what would happen next.

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