it weaves between the thick trees- disappearing briefly and reemerging from the adjacent side like a blinking firefly. Willow watches closely, their heart set alight by every reappearance. by the look of it, the fox is heading to the river bank a little ways West from here.

they decide to follow it

the fox is barely visible. trotting through the freshly fallen snow, it occasionally pauses to paw at something on the ground. if it hadn't been moving, Willow likely never would have noticed it. but now that they've seen it.. they can't look away.

there's something enchanting about it's movement

Willow blinks to focus their eyes, and the scenery slowly begins to reveal itself. icicles frame a portrait of snow capped hemlock, each bent slightly under the weight- deer search for cones beneath them, hungrily. and what's that? a blur of pale fur in the distance..

it's a fox!

an icy cold breeze whistles through a gap in the doorframe, and with it, the smell of damp evergreens. Willow drinks it in for a moment..

and then opens the door

Willow leaps off the windowsill and makes their way to the door. its stained glass panels reflect colored light on their grey fur- turning them into a real life Claude Monet. outside, a bird sings

intoxicating..

(2) snow is falling. it piles up in the garden beds in front of the house- turning the black earth a gleaming white. bright red cardinals flit around, adding flashes of color to the winterscape. Willow is watching from the window.. tail flicking absentmindedly. it is warm inside..

but it is boring.

"sorry, i didn't know you were making breakfast," the cat replies nonchalantly

"That isn't the issu-" their own sigh cuts them off. Willow is busy grooming the blood off of their paws and is unaffected by the scolding. "Ah.. nevermind, dear, thank you anyway for the meal"

*purrr* "of course, love"

the light sound gets their attention and they finally glance up from their novel.. catching sight of the new pancake topping. They *shriek* in surprise and leap back- tipping their chair over in the process with a loud clatter

"WILLOW!! Again?!"

through the door, kill still in mouth, the proud cat makes their way to the kitchen table where their wife sits in front of a hot stack of pancakes. their mate is distracted reading a novel and hasn't noticed them come in.

*thump* the vole lands right on top of the platter of pancakes~

slowly, home comes into view: a small, one story cottage at the edge of the woods~ partially hidden behind the tall garden of native flowers. the path cutting from the side of the yard to the forest is worn deep into the ground. the familiar touch on their paws is comforting

they quicken their step

carefully they pick their prey back up and hold it loosely in their maw as they make their way back to the house. it's still warm and the intense smell makes their mouth water incessantly

"don't chew. just a little farther"

with a satisfied sigh, the fluffy cat relaxes their clenched jaw, dropping the fresh kill onto the dewy grass. the metallic taste of blood still lingering on the tongue~ they examine the body.. thinking to themself:

"It's not much, but it will have to do for now"

and then-! a deer in the distance steps on a twig with a resounding *snapp* and the vole momentarily stops its tidying to listen intently to its surroundings- now is the time. while it's still, GO!!

the cat leaps from behind the tall grass and grasps the small animal in their jaws

*CRUNCH* "Mm.."

adrenaline surges in the cat's body as they silently adjust their back feet in preparation.. it smells amazing, but they restrain themself. a younger cat would have lunged at the sight of their prey, but the secret to any successful kill is patience..

their breathing all but stops

it's rustling the fresh fallen leaves- unaware of the predator with their eyes fixed upon it.. it is much too focused on tidying up its nest

~lucky for the hungry cat

tall grass makes the purrfect cover for the quiet hunter. they adjust the weight in their paws- testing each step before committing to the movement.. following the smell...

A vole!!

after mulling over the choice between curling back up in bed and acquiring some breakfast, a small complaint from the cat's stomach made the decision a little easier. begrudgingly, they got to their feet and padded out the door

focus now. it's time to hunt

large pupils filter in the dim, blue, morning light. mouth slightly agape, the cat checks their surroundings. the air is cool and slightly moist..it must have rained last night. sounds of birds in the trees nearby

"hungry"

a fluffy, grey and cream cat is curled up in bed.. their ear flicks and they stretchh outtt- limbs uncoiling and extending with a tremor. wide eyes open

"I'm awake"