Day 37: Hunting

The mare stepped carefully around the blanket of snow covering the terrain, uncertain and nervous to find a hole with each step. Keeping her steady, the hunter focused his eyes analyzing the ground and checking for any marks left in tree barks. Scratching the light stubble which had grown in his time with the Nekomata clutter, his blue eyes kept a sharp look before finding something worth stopping for. Raising his hand with closed in fingers, he felt some snow residue drip softly and plop around him.

Jumping off his horse, he patted her side gently and approached the tree bark, noting the loose fur stuck to its texture. Someone was climbing down to study this with him, he had no need to guess. Emyri came into view holding herself upside down with her claws gripping the tree hard. She tilted her head and saw the loose bark as well as the matted white fur strands stuck to it.

"Didn't realize you had a bad itch, guess humans leave their marks all the same."

"Not mine." Leone mentioned, carefully picking out a small pinch of fur. Rolling it between his fingers, he could feel the numerous eyes perched above trees looking down at the two with interest and curiosity. "This is fur, feels soft but smells odd."

"Let me see." Emyri dropped down performing a nice flip to land well on her two feet. Leaning in, her nose twitched. "Huh... that smells funny. Hey Mom, can you take a look here?"

Leone braced himself as a sudden few pounds landed on his shoulder, sinking its claws into the wolf pelt he wore. Thank the gods for thick wolf hide. He raised the fur strands in for her to take a whiff, she pulled away and rubbed her nose.

"Well?"

Cyri mewed softly as her daughter translated for her. "She says the animal is in heat, ew."

She ignored the few giggles above them with Leone letting the fur drop. "Animal with white fur during the last days of winter, may be dealing with a snow bear. Grizzly maybe?"

"Grizzly?" Emyri looked puzzled. "Not here in the winter, they should be sleeping I think."

Cyri mewed into the hunter's ear, her tail wrapping around his neck which admittedly tickled. Emyri nodded. "I guess, but I don't know. Just doesn't seem likely."

Her ears flicked with Cyri's head lifting up in attendance, something alarmed them. Before he could speak, Cyri's tail covered his lips with her daughter sniffing the air. Without a word, she climbed up the tree and managed to leap over from tree to tree as the other cats followed. Leone looked over to Cyri as she licked her paw before jumping off and changing into her feminine form. Still takes a bit of getting use to being around open women like that.

"What do they see?" He asked, feeling left out of the circle.

Cyri smiled and tilted her hip. "Walk slowly on foot and you'll see. I'll take the lead, make no noise."

"As you wish." He answered, stepping as lightly as he could around the snow. Hard to do as each step sunk his boots in ankle deep, the slight giggle from his companion was enough to let him know he needed more practice. "Sorry, I can't climb around and move like you do."

"I know, it's fun to see a hunter so clumsy like so. Here, lower your voice and stay down. Right there, you see it?" Her tails directed where he should look. With a squint, he could barely make out some movement within the oak. Wait, that's not the oak, it was a well camouflaged deer with it's antlers in full display, sharp and ready for a clash. If she hadn't pointed, there would be no way he could see him alone. Besides, they seemed to be several meters away so the distance alone did not help.

"How?"

She rubbed her nose with a smirk. "Sometimes we see better with our nose. Watch, here they come."

They kept quiet as the deer bent down to grab another bite from the newly exposed grass in the small, dried patch it found. As its jaws chewed and rotated in a repeated motion, several Nekomatas were careful in approaching the branches above the creature without disturbing any snow. Licking her lips, Emyri held up a nervous paw, trembling lightly before giving the signal. A dozen or so cats fell upon the deer, startling it and igniting its fight or flight response. It chose the former, kicking up it's hind legs before jumping around attempting to buck it's unwelcomed riders away. The cats dug their claws in and held on for the ride, it was comedic seeing their lower bodies fling around up and down as they meowed away their fears or excitement. At last, Emyri descended down in plain view of the animal, which directed it's frustration and anger to her. It's eyes seeing red, it charged at full speed after her with its head lowered, antlers ready for the kill. Leone noticed Cyri biting her lip at that moment, holding her breath.

Crash!

Emyri lept up and grabbed onto the tree in time as the deer struck into the bark hard, slumping down into the snow with its fight knocked out of its system. Falling beside it, Emyri made a face of reluctance before baring her carnivore fangs and sinking them into it's neck, ending the creature and gifting the clutter a new meal.

The cats mewed and meowed in excitement as Emyri wiped her tongue and spat a few times before breathing in relief. Leone saw she wasn't the only one nervous, her mother had a bit of sweat which she wiped away once the hunt was over. As they approached her, he saw some of the Nekomata's change into their Monster state, Zimi hugging her tight and jumping around happily. Leone grinned watching Emyri catch her breath and smile.

"Well that was a good show, how come this wasn't brought up when I was training you girls?"

She smirked and stuck out her tongue. "You never asked what we knew, you would be surprised how it pays to be a cat girl."

He sheepishly shrugged in acceptance and smiled back when suddenly the snow began to grow thick and tall behind them without warning.

Cyri shouted first. "Danger!"

"Look out!" Zimi yelled, falling back as the snow pushed her away. Something swung at the nearest girl who happens to be Emyri. Eyes wide, Leone quickly pulled her in a tight embrace and spun around, hearing something chop through the tree bark easily scraping away a good chunk of it. He winced, something stung his back really bad.

Out from the snow, a large paw had revealed itself with its white fur easily blending in. As heaps of snow fell off from it's form, it shook away what was left to reveal itself in a ferocious roar with all the air it's lungs could carry. Emyri gasped, holding Leone inches away from this beast, becoming aware of it's true appearance once the snow fell away. It's sharp claws extended inches away far larger than any Nekomata could manage, her soft thighs which popped away from it's furry paws, and the heavy looking fur surrounding her collar, chest, waist and forearms.

It's a Grizzly Bear!