"You did… Alright I suppose. For your first time." Papa said, letting the cooling body of the tom go now that he no longer had the life in him to fight. He'd been moving about so much, thrashing, useless against her father's greater weight and the wounds he had sustained though. And now he was stiller than the grass he laid on, mouth partially open. Never to speak another word.
"He was so scared." Foxglove said in a tiny voice, her amber eyes down cast upon the body. The coopery taste of his blood was still on her tongue, and she could feel the bile rising in her throat. Her father had spoken of this day so eagerly for what had felt like an eternity- all of the past week. Saying they'd find their target and she'd have her first kill. And so she had. But all she could feel was the cold sinking of dread for the life snuffed out before her. So this was death.
"I know. But you still did it." Her Papa gave her a lick on the forehead, grooming her ruffled fur back into place a little. "Trust me, you'll learn to enjoy this. It's a whole process."
Foxglove wasn't so sure about that, she thought as she flinched from her father's tongue. He regarded her distantly, then sighed. "You go wait in those bushes over there, and don't come out until I come back. I'll get you a special treat to celebrate okay?"
"Mhm." She nodded a tiny bit as her father started to walk off, then looked back to see she hadn't moved. He sighed, then manually picked her up by the scruff and put her into the bushes, walking off without her.
It wasn't too long before the grey and cream dappled kit of four moons came back out of the bushes and sat in front of the body again, staring down at it. He was dead. And she'd killed him.
"He was so scared." Foxglove said in a tiny voice, her amber eyes down cast upon the body. The coopery taste of his blood was still on her tongue, and she could feel the bile rising in her throat. Her father had spoken of this day so eagerly for what had felt like an eternity- all of the past week. Saying they'd find their target and she'd have her first kill. And so she had. But all she could feel was the cold sinking of dread for the life snuffed out before her. So this was death.
"I know. But you still did it." Her Papa gave her a lick on the forehead, grooming her ruffled fur back into place a little. "Trust me, you'll learn to enjoy this. It's a whole process."
Foxglove wasn't so sure about that, she thought as she flinched from her father's tongue. He regarded her distantly, then sighed. "You go wait in those bushes over there, and don't come out until I come back. I'll get you a special treat to celebrate okay?"
"Mhm." She nodded a tiny bit as her father started to walk off, then looked back to see she hadn't moved. He sighed, then manually picked her up by the scruff and put her into the bushes, walking off without her.
It wasn't too long before the grey and cream dappled kit of four moons came back out of the bushes and sat in front of the body again, staring down at it. He was dead. And she'd killed him.