Username: Strawberry Milk
Dog Name: Max
Clan: GraniteclanGender: Male
Age: 2 years
Prompt:xxxxxMax snuffled around the base of the tree. There was something there, a scent he had never smelt before. What was it? It smelled really good, furry, maybe a new kind of rabbit? Although he's small, smaller than most dogs he's met before, the chances were good that whatever it was, he could either overpower it or at least outrun it. Deciding it was worth it to follow, he set out to find whatever this was.
xxxxxAs he walked, nose to the ground, more and more similar scents joined the first. Max started to get nervous. Hopefully whatever this was wouldn't be aggressive. Finally, he came up to a sunny clearing up against the entrance to a cave. A lithe figure was stretched out on the grass, snoring softly. Max tilted his head to the side, confused. It kinda looked like a dog, but definitely didn't smell like one. As he was watching, he accidentally snapped a twig beneath his paw. The figure jumped up, fur bristling, and hissed at him. Max yelped and ran as fast as he could out of the trees, back the way he came.
xxxxxAt his home, he couldn't stop thinking about the strange animal he had seen. He asked one of the dogs living near him and learned that the strange animal he has seen was a "cat". He wanted to see it again and maybe even see one of the others he had scented. The next day, he only made it half-way there before a different cat stepped onto the path in front of him. It hissed and began walking closer to him, tail swishing violently behind it. Max turned tail and ran. The third time, he decided that maybe these cats would appreciate a gift, and carried a large stick to their territory. When one stopped him, just like the last time, he dropped the stick and nudged it towards the cat before turning away to head back home.
xxxxxAfter a few more days of attempted contact, he arrived at the clearing once again. He could smell multiple cats but none appeared to challenge him. Slowly, he stepped into the sunlight and placed the stick he brought into the middle. The warm grass felt good on his tired paws and he felt his eyelids begin to droop. A short nap before heading home couldn't hurt, right?
xxxxxWhen he woke, the sun was beginning to set and there was a cat staring at him only a short distance away. Max cowered beneath its stare and he closed his eyes in fear. He had noticed it's long, sharp claws and hoped it wouldn't use them on him. He felt a soft touch brush against his flank and his eyes shot open. The cat was rubbing its face on his shoulder. The two animals stared at each other until the cat stepped back and disappeared into the shadows.
xxxxxAlthough his home is with his humans and his fellow dogs, he knows he has friends here and spends as much time as he can in their camp. Max likes the cats, and they like him too. (520 words)
