Their leader, the big ginger male Brango, had made sure they had enough food supplies for the day trip they had planned, but he hadn’t counted on having to run for his life when the rocks started falling. The supplies left after their stops for morning tea and lunch had depleted, and they had only planned a day excursion. But he was sure there was enough left for their return journey, shortly after lunch.
They had been slower than he expected because the track was high-maintenance, with damage caused by heavy rain and the occasional slippage of material from the slopes above. The rainforest was good at holding the soil, but nothing could withstand the sudden downpour and the cascade of rocks from above.
He thanked his lucky stars that they were all safe and out of the rain in what looked like the entrance to an extensive cave system. He had been up this route before, months ago, with parties of cats, but he had seen nothing like this.
The group of young cats was well prepared and eager to help, so he welcomed Lucinda’s offer to find food. He stayed with the main party while the Mousecateers ventured further into the cave system.
Although Lucinda was new to the group, Nero agreed that she should lead them on this enterprise, as she knew the most about the prey they were seeking.
This would be the Mousecateers first real adventure. Although the young cats will gather whatever they can encounter, each has a preference. Nero fancies the Weta insects, Princess Kitty is after roaches, and Sirin is ready to pounce on termites. Lucinda is looking forward to practising what she has read and will gather anything she can find.
As they move further into the cave system, they encounter some special prey. These will make tasty additions to their evening meal.
The image and videos were generated by AI from the author’s text.
