The sun filtered through the trees casting a warm glow through the rainforest. Mist lifted her head and took it in. The nice warm breeze, the calmness of birds in flight. She smiled as a bird perched in the small window the cave home. "You better leave, or you'll be mom's breakfast." The bird tilted its head at her, as if to say thank you- and flew away into the forest, hidden by the thick canopy of trees. Mist looked around the room. She smirked at the dent in the small arch of the entrance way and remembered when she and Fog had been playing toss the bolder. They had both worked so hard to lift the boulder onto the small ramp they had made, only to break the entrance of cave, sealing Mom and their little sister inside. She chuckled, her mind floating back to the present. She used her tail to sweep her small pile of leaves back to its original place. She chuckled again as one landed on her nose.
When she was finished, she pranced into the main room, where they stored all their meat and dined on feasts of birds and small monkeys. She sat down and began to snack on a small bird she had caught the other morning.
"What are you doing!" A sharp voice called out.
"Umm... NOT EATING." She replied.
A tall, sleek leopard stalked into the room; her eyebrows raised.
"Hi, mother..." Mist mumbled.
Her mother was the most respected clouded leopard in the jungle. She was known for her famous hunting skills and her drive to do anything to protect her cubs.
"You know very well that we eat as a family Mist." Her mother remarked.
Mist nodded silently and walked outside. She loved the forest at this time of day. The sun filtered through trees, the birds singing in the morning light.
Mist flexed her claws and crouched down, facing her favorite tree. She gave a soft yowl and leaped. Her front paws where the first to touch the branch, followed by her back paws and tail.
She carefully wrapped her tail around the branch and climbed higher- to her favorite spot. She settled down, high in the tree.
Movement bellow caught her eye.
"Hm?" she said, leaping down to the forest floor. She stalked over to some thick ferns planted nearby. She peered through them, revealing another leopard. A male- She decided.
"What is he doing here? In OUR territory?" She whispered
The strange leopard looked just barely older than her and seemed well fed and fit. He had his back facing her and she studied him closely.
He had bold spots, smaller than hers and darker fur, more like a macaw's golden feathers than her light gray-yellow fur.
She watched him closely for a while and noticed strange behavior. His tail was constantly hitting the ground and he was always checking the air for signs of other leopards.
He knows he's not supposed to be here. She finally realized.
A few more minutes passed by like leaves caught in a gusty breeze. She finally made up her mind.
You can't be here, in our territory.
She leaped out of the ferns.
"The chase. Is on."
