For a second, she was caught of balance; but only for a second. She tottered uneasily at the edge of her perch, the branch beneath her waving slightly. But with her claws digging into the bark to secure her perch, she felt her heart rate begin to slow. The skinny gray she-cat blinked in relief, letting out a slight sigh, before creeping further along the outstretched bark. Nanashi slowly crept between the trembling leaves, her brightly colored eyes flashing as she caught sight of a finch. She particularly enjoyed birds; and the feathers would make for good distraction for the kittens.

She felt a flash of guilt. As much as she tried to play the pitiful mother card, she was often away from the nest. And as annoying as the kits were, they had started to grow on her. She shook her head quietly to banish the thoughts, not wanting to distract herself from the potential of a tasty meal.

As she drew her paws closer to her target, she felt her pad slip over a protruding twig, causing her to shake slightly. With a feel of alarm, she felt her hind-legs slip, dangling below her as she desperately kicked out at blank space. She was too weak to haul herself up. With a huff of effort, she peered below her, careening her neck with effort. The branch below her wasn't extremely far — but dropping from this height could be risky. Her heart began to thud madly in her chest, threatening to leap out of it.

Feeling is if she might be insane, she let go of her grip and plummeted for what seemed to stretch into eternity, before her body hit the much more stable branch. The air rushed from her lungs, but instinct dug her claws into the tree until she could regain it. Safe, she glanced up at the bird and spat angrily. It had flown away.