Amira's tail twitched, a smirk on her face as she watched her favorite siblings talk together nearby. She was settled into tall grass, having excused herself from the group temporarily with a flimsy excuse just to try and pounce them in secret. It wasn't the first time she was trying to launch a sneak attack and it probably wouldn't be the last. Part of it was for fun. Hearing surprised yells when she succeeded was something she found hilarious. But part of it was oldest-sibling-syndrome and some part of her wanted them to be ready to defend themselves or each other at a moment's notice. They wouldn't be full grown for some time still and the dangers when small were numerous. Even though no one had said so to her, Amira felt personally responsible for the safety of her siblings whenever their parents weren't directly watching their antics. It didn't matter that all she'd done was be born a few minutes before the rest - every single one of her littermates was dear to her and she'd spent plenty of time worrying and playing the what-if game with various scenarios. She always felt so distraught when she had finished a runthrough of some completely invented scenario, as if that thing had actually happened, and it took her hours, sometimes days, to calm down. And these two sisters in particular - Amira loved them with all her heart. She would do anything for them and she knew they felt similarly about her.
She smiled as she crept closer, her partially extended claws leaving little marks in the dirt as she used her grip to remain quiet. The one thing she hadn't really mastered yet was keeping her tail from twitching when she felt excited, and despite her best efforts it occasionally rattled a blade of grass. She could hardly contain her giggles as she approached, imagining the impending scene, and stopped downwind just inside the edge of the thick grass. Amira held her breath and stilled her body entirely and then with a burst of speed she lept toward them!
