Silent Heroes: Wildcat

Chapter 17: Animal Instincts

There was a rush of air behind me.  I whipped around to find that Jewel had been replaced with her cat-form.  She was built more along the lines of a cheetah.  Tall, lean and lanky.  Her coloring reminded me strongly of an African Wild Dog.  Her body was painted with equal parts of black, brown and white.  There was a particular splash of white over her face—engulfing one eye and part of her left ear—that gave her a charmingly roguish appearance.

Seeing my eyes on her, Jewel gave a little jump and slapped the ground with her front paws.  She looked up at me, ears pricked forward, chest lowered right to the ground.

Both my human and my animal brain quickly recognized the "let's play" signal.

I turned my body more fully in her direction, flattening myself against the cobblestones under my feet.  I clenched my powerful muscles and wriggled my back end into a more comfortable pouncing position.

For a moment we both froze, staring each other down.  The end of Jewel's tail was twitching hypnotically back and forth. My whole body was trembling with pent-up energy.

In the end, it seemed like we both moved at the exact same moment.  Unable to contain myself any more, all that energy exploded out of me and I sprang forward, swiping playfully at jewels feet.

Only she wasn't there.  She dodged out of the way and my paws hit nothing but the cloud of dust she had left in her wake.

I twisted around to find her several meters behind me, crouched in another play-bow.

You'll have to be quicker than that, Eve!

A wicked laugh echoed through my mind.  I wasn't sure if Jewel picked up on it or not, but I had a feeling she probably did.

Oh, you are so dead!

I leapt straight into the air and came down on her with my front paws spread wide.  In a flash of movement, Jewel swerved to one side and I landed gracelessly with my face in the dirt.

Too slow, Jewel taunted happily, now poised somewhere to my left.

I flipped my legs over and scrambled to my feet.  I dropped back into a crouch, facing Jewel head-on.  I moved in on her slowly, lifting one paw at a time into the air, then gradually lowering it to the ground.  Jewel watched me closely, head bent forward, muscles quivering.

Come on, newbie.  Let's see what you got!

I charged, my adrenaline surging, my feet scrambling for purchase on the hard ground.  Jewel hardly moved.  She stood there calmly until I was practically on top of her.  Then, when I was just millimeters away, she sprang backwards like a gazelle, leaving me flailing at thin air.

With a laugh, Jewel turned on her back paws and ran.

Oh, I don't think so.  You're not getting away that easy!  I said and shot after her.

We tore off down the street, Jewel in the lead while I followed in hot pursuit.  She was incredibly fast, her long legs stretching out in huge, ground-covering strides.  Her slender body coiling and releasing like a spring.  She could turn on a dime, changing direction so fast I could barely follow her movements.  She zigzagged back and forth across the road.  Plunged in and out of the trees.  Swerved between the stores and buildings on either side of the street.

I was pushing myself to the limit just to keep up.  My legs were a blur.  My back paws tore up clods of dirt and grass and sometimes even bits of stone.  Yet, no matter how fast I ran, I was no match for Jewels furious speed.

I was still hurtling after her like a maniac when Jewel suddenly pulled to a stop and twisted around to face me.  She reared up on her back legs and I crashed right into her.  We went down in a tumble of flashing legs and claws and teeth.  We rolled around in the grass, each fighting to pin the other down.  As we wrestled I felt grass give way to hard, packed earth and then solid stone.