Dindi

During the feast and dancing, Puddlepaws escaped Dindi’s pack. She worried in case the kitten tried to steal foods from the feast mats, but found Puddlepaws preoccupied behind her. Head low to the ground, eyes glowing with intent, small furry rump stuck up in the air, tail lashing, the kitten stalked a scurrying rat.

Puddlepaws pounced and caught the rat, which he didn’t know quite what to do with.

A girl swooped down and picked up Puddlepaws. “Fa! Go! Leave her alone! Oh, you poor little thing, are you whole? Did that meanie cat bite you?”

The girl was cradling the rat. No, now Dindi saw it clearly, it wasn’t a rat but a chipmunk. Puddlepaws scrambled away and peeked out from behind one of the huts.

“That’s my cat,” Dindi said. “Don’t chase him off, he might get lost.”

“He terrified my chipmunk!”

“I’m sure he meant no harm,” Dindi said. “He just wanted to eat an arm or two. Maybe a leg.”