"Morning, Mom," Dawn said, stepping up to touch her mother's nose affectionately. She finished her grooming routine with a few more rapid strokes before hopping to her paws. "Where are we going today?" She rushed forward without waiting for an answer, turning back and pausing. "Come on!"

"I already know it!" Dawn replied, practically bouncing up and down as she darted ahead. "I've been practicing since I was a kit. Mom, I want to go hunting!" She practically crashed through the underbrush, scenting the breeze.

"Alright!" Dawn chirped, slowing to scent the air to prove she could do it. She knew how to do it, so she wouldn't have any issues. She caught the smell of squirrel and lowered her body, spotting it up on a branch. She crept closer, lying in wait beneath a dry, frozen bush for it to come down. The squirrel simply sat on the branch, gnawing on a lone acorn. Dawn stared at it, making a low chittering sound. The squirrel looked down, then continued eating his nut. Finally, Dawn burst from the bush in frustration, scrambling towards the tree. The squirrel turned and jumped to another branch, rushing along with ease. Dawn let out a low huff, looking back at Bella. "One practice crouch," she huffed. "That wasn't fair."

"I know, I know," she huffed, falling into a practice crouch and creeping forward. "I just thought he'd come down. And that I could catch him." She stepped through the snow quickly, leaping forward to land sloppily on a root. "There, did it. Come on, I bet I can find something else!" She loved walking into camp with a piece of prey in her jaws, seeing the looks on her family's faces. Helping those she cared about was the best feeling in the world.

"Okay!" Dawn chirped, following behind her and scenting the air as they approached the stream. She could hear the calls of birds as they fed in the early morning, and as she watched, one landed at the edge of stream to drink. Instantly, she fell into a crouch, creeping forward as rapidly as she could. Just as the bird rose to fly off, she launched, catching the bird with one paw. It was knocked down and it fell to the snow. Dawn rounded on it, scrambling and managing to deliver a killing bite. She turned to her mother with a bright expression, bird in mouth and feathers in the snow.

"They move so fast," Dawn huffed, leaning into the affection and staring grumpily down at her paws. "It's so little. It's barely enough for one cat." Her tail fell to swish behind her in an irritated manner. "I don't think I like this time of year, mama." She wanted to see the leaves, and the flowers, and most of all she wanted to be warm.

"Huh, really?" Dawn asked. She'd never thought of it like that. "Is it like...all the trees are sleeping?" She looked up at the forest, wondering what it would feel like to be a tree, never moving. She supposed they needed rest, too. "I guess that makes sense." She looked down at the bird, knowing they'd need to catch more for today.

Dawn scratched at the snow until she reached the earth beneath, but her claws were nearly useless against the frozen ground. She looked back at her mother. "Just the snow, right?" she said, covering the bird with it. She looked around. "Uh...the stream, maybe?" she asked, looking over at it.

"Also it'd get all wet," Dawn huffed, not wanting to explain that she hadn't meant to put it in the stream, but in fact had intended to use it as a landmark. "Where else do you hunt, mom?" she asked, eager to keep practicing and prove herself.