A day.

Wind ripped muscles across her face as she ran, waves of skin and fur accompanying the initial ripple from her face. Paws hit the ground silently; she must not be heard. Play fighting memories flashed past her mind; refreshing her of training games before a change in prey direction immediately sent her reeling towards the east. She slowed to a prowl; eyes focused on the little antlers as they peered from the long dry grass; moving with her as she slowly sneaked to where the wind blew to her favor.

It was grazing  Good; full prey meant slow prey. She inched closer to it; pausing only temporarily when its ears pricked at the slightest sound or when its tail swished the flies away. Her muscles tensed with anticipation of a good meal; her hunger slightly abated while adrenaline of catching the prize coursed through her veins. She was close enough; any time now.

As the deer bent its neck down for another bite of bland grass she leapt. Into the air and down again; it did not have even a second to react. A snarl like a whip lashed out onto the deer; its body trembled at the sound and froze. Teeth sharp as nails clamped down, hard, onto the neck; and she shut her jaw; effectively severing vital tendons and arteries. It choked and tried; though unsuccessfully; to breathe. The taste of iron filed her mouth and her nostrils; bloodlust caused her to claw the body and puncture the epidermis. As her claws kept a hold of the to-be meal; a sharp turn of her neck made an unfortunate (for the deer) but planned twist of the neck. Its life is gone; the body was hers.

Adrenaline continued coursing her body; tiring her. She dragged the carcass to a better clearing; she did not want other predators around as she feasted. Slowly, foot by foot she dragged it back to a warm place between two boulders - home. Dried leaves and grass made the nest; many boulders stacked opportunely that created a heat-insulating huge crevice which provided shelter.

Little balls of fur came bounding and chirping merrily at the scent of their mother and dinner. She had come back with a still-hot meal. She nuzzled lovingly at each one ; the big brawny black furball to the small wide-eyed runt. The five of them crowded round the young deer carcass and nipped and clawed at the skin; exposing fresh meat. They tore at it as she nibbled the tougher parts of the meat and when they had their fill; she finished the rest. They now had the short burst of energy to tumble around and play fight before piling together in a heap of fur for a catnap. She dragged the bones and skin to somewhere far away where the vultures and hyenas can't get to them and cause trouble.

She slugged back to her nest and curled up with her babies; she purred deeply as they individually yawned and curled up or slumped haphazardly around her hind legs. A lullaby that was undeniably sleep-invoking; just like how her mother did to her and her siblings. She closed her eyes and drifted off to memories of pawing and nibbling at big paws for the nuzzling she now gives to her cubs.