Jimin woke up the next morning to a wolf dragging him by the skin on the back of his neck with its teeth like he's a cub. The fox struggles against the wolf's hold but doesn't succeed. The wolf only releases him once they're outside the den. There in front of him stood his mother; icy blue eyes piercing through his, making him stand up straight immediately.

Is this how you are? The sun had come up, you should be up by now but you continued sleeping like a log. See what the humans did to you? As a hunter, you should always be ready and aware, not laze around like those humans. Jimin only kept quiet and keeps his head down. He knows that she's right.

She glares at him for a bit longer before looking away. How are your hunting skills now? She questions.

I haven't hunt for a while. My skills are probably rusted now. He replies, voice laced with embarrassment.

I knew it. We'll start from scratch then. Now, let's go get breakfast. She says and turns to leave, to which Jimin instinctively follows.

What have you been eating? She asks as she walks, not looking back at him. He stops to think for a while before replying,

I only ate berries and grapes before I met my humans. They have been feeding me both fruits and meat.

No wonder you're so petite. You need meat to grow muscles, and no muscles mean you're weak. She comes to a stop and turns to meet his eyes.

Watch and learn. After she spoke, for a moment, she just stayed there. Belly to the ground, her ears perked as she stares at the earth. Jimin cocks his head to one side as he watches his mother. He had never been taught how to hunt before. All those time alone in the forest after his first human had mysteriously gone missing, he only had berries and fruits to fill in his stomach. He was always hungry at first, but slowly, he got used to it.

The vixen stayed in her position for a good five minutes before she suddenly leaps, head first, digging into a small hole. When she pulls her head out again, she has a lifeless rabbit in her mouth.

Rabbits are Taehee's favorite... Is the first thing that came to his mind as he watches his mother slowly devour the creature.

Now, your turn. Jimin is shaking slightly out of nervousness. It can't be that hard, right?

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Why is this so hard?! Jimin looks at the empty land before him in defeat. He was quite confident and positive at first. Even after his tenth attempt failed, he still kept his hopes up high and positive. But soon, tens turned to fifties. And fifties turned to a hundred. The sun is hung high up on the sky. Jimin is tired, hungry, and thirsty. His paws are slightly torn apart and bleeding because of his clumsy attempts. But the vixen wouldn't let him rest until he caught something.

You are probably the only fox in the entire world who doesn't know how to hunt, and you're the leader's son. How unfortunate am I. His mother comments as he continues trying.

The fox is starting to miss Taehee even more now. She would never have commented on him like that. And she definitely won't ever be so hard on him either. But soon, he pushes those thoughts aside.

She's better off without me. I'll only put her in danger.

Jinhee, the other wolves had informed me that the neighboring pack came looking for trouble. You should confront them. An unfamiliar voice calls out to the vixen, making Jimin stop what he was doing to take a look.

There right beside his mother, stood an old wolf. He stands, tall and strong. His grey and white fur is smooth and neat, and his eyes showed wisdom.

The vixen eyes Jimin, You better have caught something when I get back. She says before walking away gracefully. Ignoring the wolf's presence, Jimin turns back to the ground, attempting to catching something --and failed again.

He growls out of frustration before getting in his stance to try again. But before he can do so, the old wolf spoke. That's not how you do it, kit.

The fox snaps his head towards the wolf to see him walking over. The wolf lowers himself beside Jimin and stares ahead at the earth before him.

Listen, and do what I say. Lower yourself first. Jimin was confused, but he obligates. Lowering himself so he has his belly on the ground.

Now, listen carefully. Do you hear it? The mice underneath, crawling around. Do you hear them?

Jimin tries listening closely. Yes, he did hear them. He can hear the light shifting of the soil and the quickening heartbeat of the creatures underneath.

Yes. I hear them. But how do I catch them? I've been trying for the whole morning, and I have yet to catch anything. The wolf looks at him in the eyes,

You need to be smart and patient, kit. Stay in your position and don't move. Watch over the hole, they have to come out eventually. Trace their footsteps with your ears and predict. I believe you can do it.

Jimin is no longer confident, but he still tries anyway. His eyes are trained on the hole made by the mice, and his ears stand in attention. He listens carefully and waits. Not long after, a mouse pokes it's head out of the hole cautiously. Jimin is about to strike, but the wolf stops him.

No. Stay and close your eyes. Jimin looks at him like he had lost his mind. How can you let me lose this chance? The wolf only stares ahead at the mouse, which soon goes back into the hole.

You need to trust me. Just do what I say if you want to get this over with.

Jimin can only obey and closes his eyes. He can hear them again. Mice. One up ahead. He's coming out, what do I do?

Just keep your voice down and wait for my orders. And Jimin patiently waits. He can hear the mouse come out and go back down before coming out again. Only this time, he doesn't just poke his head out. He swiftly runs out of the hole, thinking that the fox is asleep.

Attack. Now! The wolf's voice booms and Jimin is quick to react. He shoots his eyes open and pounces, letting his ears guide him to the mouse. Just when he thought his paws had only snapped at the air again, he feels squirming under his paws just as he lands.

He quickly reaches his snout out and bites on the mouse's neck, killing it almost instantly. The ironic taste of blood fills his mouth. He doesn't like it, but when he looks down at the dead mouse in his paws, a wave of pride washes over him.

That was his first prey.

Good job, kit. Only next time, you need to do it more swiftly. The voice reminds him of the presence of the old wolf once again.

Thank you so much! He looks up from his paws to express his gratitude, only to see that the wolf had turned on his tail and is walking away.

Wait! May I know your name? He stands up, dropping the mouse to the ground in the process.

You'll find out someday in the future. See you around, kit. He says and disappears into the woods.