Full Moon's Circle, part 18 ... Silverhour

It was Howlingwoods that first noticed something change in the mannerisms of the hunters they followed. He had been watching while the other two scavenged for food, knowing that they would be out for a while in the lifeless mountains. He watched as two of the hunters separated from the rest, one of the young following an adult. They entered a cave in the cliff-side, the rest of the group pausing not far up ahead. They had been gone for some time when the echoes of the adult voice reached the others. There was panic in the tone, even Howlingwoods could tell that something was wrong. The hunter came bursting from the opening, rushing frantically and collapsing, the rest gathering around protectively. Darktips and Grayback came up along side him, hearing the commotion, and they all watched as a group of the larger adults ventured into the cavern. The problem became apparent when they didn’t immediately return, the little one was lost inside.

On the opposite side of the canyon, the mountain lion perched directly above the cave, not missing a detail. It knew these caves, their inhabitants had fed him many times when the larger beasts had roamed out of his hunting range. There was a well stocked river that ran deep in the darkness, it’s cold waters housing various tasty treats. Now the network of tunnels also housed a creature the cat hoped would be the tastiest of them all, the lost hunter child. Its eyes adjusted quickly as a separate entrance enveloped the cougar, the darkness almost calming as the drip of moisture echoed.

The cats movement caught Grayback’s attention, growling and huffing to alert the other two. They all watched as the cougar circled down and into a cave not far from where the hunters had entered. The sight of the cat seemed to snap Darktips out of his curiosity for the others, and he growled fiercely, scanning the cliffs for passage down and across. He still could not risk being seen by the hunters that remained outside, the agitation over losing the little one would only fuel their desire to strike out. Finally he decided on a path and set out, doubling back to a washout that proved to be shallow enough for footholds. All three reached the bottom in a hurry, the angle too steep for a cautious descent. They were careful in crossing the valley floor, however, ensuring that the hunters attention was focused on the cave and not the surroundings. They picked up the scent of mountain lion almost instantly, finding the cave that had swallowed it only moments ago. Hesitating for only a moment, the trio stepped into the darkness.

A whimpering sound caught the lion’s attention as it padded through the cavern, barely audible above the river’s gurgling rush. Erosion had created a small opening at the top of the chamber, inviting a trickle of sunlight to cast wavy reflections off the water, illuminating the rocky walls. The echoing effects made it hard to find the exact tunnel the child was down, but the scent of fear was unmistakable.

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