Gotta meet more packmates! ;-)
Word Count → 388
Night had fallen. True to the moon chaser he had been named for, Hati Catori loved the night. Everything was silent and still, the courtiers in their homes, the horses asleep in their stables. It was not the first time he slipped past his siblings and parents, meeting the cool air by himself -- and it wouldn't be the last, as was his habit. The deep shadows turned his pelt as black as the sky, his pale forelegs and muzzle a ghostly white by comparison. Darkness made him feel more confident, an inky cloak that could conceal his imperfections.
As the young wolfdog padded quietly from his home and past the silhouette of the Chien Hotel, he caught sight a small blinking light -- a single firefly, the first of the season. The months had been growing warmer, but it was too soon for any other lightning bugs to answer its lonely signal. Hati followed it idly, wanting to see it up close, but the light vanished, leaving him deeper into the Court's territory. The stars were emerging one by one, illuminating his walk. Tall grass tickled his underbelly, the field stretching before him. Once he could no longer see the buildings, it was as though the insecurity and worry melted away. There were no expectations to live up to here, no competition for attention, no noisy distractions. He was the night prince, at home in his element.
The adolescent found a large rock jutting up from the field, taller than the sea of waving grass surrounding it. He easily made the leap, landing with surprising grace atop the stone. It pleased him to see the clumsiness of youth was fading; he felt more agile each day. The wolfdog settled onto his hindquarters, listening keenly to the night around him. As he patiently waited with ears perked, he heard the call of an owl, searching the wide field for scurrying prey. Crickets resumed their chirping serenade. The little noises here and there caught his attention, fascinating him. It made him wonder why so many of the Luperci chose to live by the sun, when the moon held so much more wonder. It made him sigh heavily to think of returning home again, but he could not stay here too long, lest someone wake up and notice his absence.
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