Watching the festival be set up from the window, Clover felt a bubbly feeling in her chest. 

The townsfolk seemed so warm. 

“Watching the cheerful brats?” A grumpy voice said, and there she saw Mister Mouse. 

“Oh, good day Mister Mouse.” She said as he hopped onto the windowsill. 

The brown mouse wore a little suit that was rather fitting, he was a little fancy man.  

“Within the next few days we’ll be heading to the city to celebrate, you’ll be trained today by Hopper over there.” Pointing to Mister Ram who was speaking with Presscott, Clover tilted her head. 

“Why do you call him that?” She asked. 

“Hopper? It’s cause when he was in training he would hop everywhere, he’s a skittish thing.” Looking at him, Clover couldn’t understand. 

Skittish? Mister Ram has always jumped in front of her though, not get scared away. 

Tapping her chin, she slid off the windowsill and ran over to him, bumping into him with a hug. 

“Oh! Clover! Are you ready for today?!” He asked, she vaguely remembered him saying something about partner training. 

“Yeah!” She said, brimming with a hopeless lack of knowledge. 

Chuckling, Presscott walked closer, patting her head as she looked up at him. 

“Here, let me explain it, today you and a few other hunters will go out into the woods, and test your skills, and at the end, we’ll have a big feast where we cook the Moon Fiends.” Clapping his hands, Presscott grinned as Clover excitedly bounced. 

“Mister Ram! Will you eat some too!?” She said, turning as he scratched the back of his head. 

“Well- I don’t usually eat meat but I’ll take a bite of your hunt if you want.” And that’s all she needed to know. 

With a newfound goal, she takes a deep breath and turns to Presscott. “When does it start Mister Kitty?!” 

Laughing, his ears twitch as he offers her his arm, and reaching up she takes it, hooking their arms as he walks her down the hall. 

It was strange, but Mister kitty….smelled nice, as if he was a safe man, and it reminded her of someone. 

But who….? 

“Soon, for now, take a walk with me, I want to ask you a few things.” Walking out the door, the smell of paint and soot filled her lungs from the festival. 

Looking as they hoist up a large red flag, Presscott looks at it and says. 

“Do you know why hunters wear red?” He asks. 

“To scare off the Moon Folk.” Clover says. 

“Fiends, and while that’s one reason, I believe there’s another.” He says, walking down the stairs with Clover as the townsfolk wave to him. 

Picking up a candied apple, draped in red he handed it to Clover whose eyes sparkle when she saw it. 

“Red is a symbol of hope, the hope that perhaps we will slay every last Moon Fiend.” His eyes, burning while he says that, a bright gold. 

“What do you think of that?” Presscott asked as Clover took a bite of the candy. 

“I don’t know….but you’re asking me to keep Mister Ram safe aren’t you?” She said, looking up as her eyes were a piercing red. 

“If so, nobody will hurt Mister Ram, I promise.” The moment she said those words, his gaze softened and he gently pat her head. 

“As you may know, nobody trusts you, but listen well, Quentin will feed you well, don’t bite his hand.” 

Looking up, she didn’t understand what he meant….but she’d soon find out….

Gathering in the forest, Clover stood with a few people, to her right was a bear, he was fluffy and shy, then next to him was a lady with a long tail that held a sharp blade at the end. 

“It’s so nerve-wracking.” Mister Bear muttered, he looked a little older than her. 

“Don’t be nervous, it will be okay, you've got me.” Miss Sharp said to him, they seemed to be partners. 

“Alright, Clover you’ll be working with-“ Miss Horn tried to say when interrupted by a cat. 

“Yeah yeah, she’ll figure it out, tch.” He spat, as he walked forward, his fur a fluffy orange covered in stripes, he was a tabby. 

Standing beside her, he didn’t even look at her, he was about as tall as Mister Ram, but shorter, and his tail flicked back and forth.  

He’s a grumpy kitty cat. 

She thought as Miss Horn along with Mister Mouse clapped their hands.

“Now listen up Hunters, today you’ll be going on your first patrol! The woods get dangerous at night, so you will each be given these.” Miss Horn said as a block of wood and a wolf carving appeared. 

Catching it, Clover tilted her head, Mister Ram had these! 

“This is a whisper carving, it allows you to communicate with any of us here at Chimedale.” Waving her own, she gave a swift example. 

“And this is a Howl Home, it’ll bring you home from the forest.” Mister Mouse said, showing the wolf-carved whistle. 

Throwing everyone a satchel, Clover tied hers around her arm under her little cloak, shoving the items within. 

Snug on her hip was the hatchet and holster Mister Ram had gotten her, she would get this patrol done and be back in his fluffy arms in no time! 

While Miss horn droned on about rules and such, Clover looked around until she found a wagon, where Mister Ram talked to Sabrina or Miss Titties, she wasn’t sure which one to call her yet. 

It was…weirdly lonely seeing them talk like that, but when she went to turn around the whistle blew. 

“Let the Hunt begin!” Everyone yelled as Mister Tabby started walking forward. 

“Come on runt! I’m not gonna let you slow me down!” He said, even though it was just a patrol. 

Skipping after him, she glanced back to see the wagon leaving, and her brow furrowed. 

Where was Mister Ram going? 

Walking through the forest, Mister Tabby didn’t seem to speak much, well, nothing she cared to listen to. 

“Why do I have to work with a runt like you?!” He said, pouting as he shuffled around, unable to stand the thought of being near her. 

Yet, soon his one-sided conversation came to an end, when in the middle of the first laid a basket, with a red covering. 

Stopping, the two stared, feeling as moonlight began to creep over their skin. 

“A basket….?” 

Confused, he tilted his head, walking forward when his tail was suddenly grabbed, bristling and hissing he turned around. 

“What was that-“

“Don’t touch it….” Clover said coldly, staring dead-eyed at it. 

Pulling his tail back, his hair stood up as he looked at her, and then the basket. 

“Don’t tell me you’re afraid of some basket huh?” He said, laughing at her as he walked towards it, and before their eyes, a Moon Fiend appeared, springing out of the basket, it pulled him in, not even a scream escaping. 

“I told you not to touch it…..”  

Sighing, Clover walked forward, looking at the basket with a crooked stare, was this part of the test? No….they wouldn’t have used live Fiends. 

Picking up the basket with her hatchet, she put it over her shoulder and simply began walking back. 

He was probably already dead, there was no use…

Then she paused, biting her lip….

Mister Ram would have wanted me to save him….

Glancing at the basket, she took a deep breath, before slamming it onto the ground, the moment it bounced back up she chopped it in half. 

Black mist spreads across the grass as a large Moon Fiend begins to form, Mister Tabby on the floor beneath it. 

“So it’s you who interrupted my meal?” The Moon Fiend asked, her heart starting to race with not fear, but adrenaline. 

“Yes…I’m afraid I’ll be needing this Kitty back.”