Helios jerked his paw back. The prey bit him! How did the prey manage to bite him through his toe-tufts? This was a more canny prey than expected. He licked the bitten place thoughtfully and bounded after the prey. It talked to him, but it didn’t say the words momma said, so he just used the sound to track it.
But why did the prey keep running into corners? It seemed canny, and then it did stupid things! Was it one of those pretend preys that momma sometimes made? Momma wasn’t very good at making prey act like prey, but it was still fun to attack the pretend preys. Especially the bright long feathers that smelled of wildness.
He crouched in front of the prey in its corner by the bookcase, body and tail low and ready to pounce. One paw reached out to tap at the prey.
The fox began climbing the bookcase, frantically. He wasn’t quite able to get a good foot hold once he was on the second shelf though. The Nogitsune became desperate as he realized the creature was gaining on him and began throwing the books that he was able to lift, down towards the furball.
“Stay back, you beast!” he yelled, scrambling to pull himself up onto another shelf. He gasped trying to catch his breath. Looking down, he realized he had not made it as far as he could and if the furry demon wanted, it could simply stretch up and get him.
Helios lifted himself up to keep the prey in sight as it began to climb. The prey’s earlier canniness must have been an accident, because surely it could see that all he had to do was stand up to reach it. He didn’t even have to stretch! He peered at the prey, eyes narrowing — and the prey threw things at him!
Helios abandoned his post in great haste, even as momma came in to see what the noise was.
“What are you doing, silly kitty? Making a mess?”
He twined her legs, looking at the prey triumphantly. Momma would catch the prey now. Momma was smart, for a humin.
Summer stepped over to the bookshelf, frowning. “What /have/ you caught?” She reached out and grabbed the miniature nogitsune, holding him firmly by the back of his coat. “A faery?”