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Chapter 15: The Hunt
Eclipse stretched, her claws raking into the loose dirt on the cave floor. She shook her fur, dust flying and dancing in the morning sun. She padded out of the cave, standing in the warm rays, falling gently between new leaves on a mighty oak. She took a deep breath, inhaling the musky scent of rotting wood, the sweet odor of new spring flowers, and the subtle hint of rain. She shivered as a cool spring wind ruffled her fur. Feeling alive and invigorated by the wind, she threw her head back, a beautiful howl arose from her mouth, the tone of her song sounding like spring, almost as if calling it forth. A small smile parted her lips, as the sound of yipping echoed in the cave, followed by the scraping sound of claws as they raced for the entrance.
In a blur of fur and growls, Luna and Nighta sprinted from the den. The two pups were 3 months old now, their baby down fur, turning to coarse thick adult pelts, their legs long and spindly, and their paws huge and clumsy.
Luna's gray coat turned paler with each passing day, her eyes, a crisp bright blue. Her body was small, streamline, with fine muscles. Her sight was amazing, and Eclipse knew, one day, she would be an amazing hunter.
Nighta's dark gray coat, only turned darker, though he wouldn't be fully black like Eclipse. His eyes were a piercing, intense yellow, and when they held your gaze it was as if he bore into your soul. He was much taller than his sister, his shoulders broad and well muscled, his back long and strong, and his legs were thick and powerful. 'He'll make a fine alpha someday!' Eclipse often found herself thinking.
Koga and Rain emerged from the den moments later, followed by a tired Skyuka.
Aki and Eclipse nuzzled. They turned to the pups and nodded. "Ready?" Aki smiled. "Yeah.'' They barked in unison. Today was to be their first hunting lesson. Aki and Eclipse lead they way, followed closely by Luna and Nighta, and trailed by Koga and Rain. Aki turned "coming?" He asked Skyuka. "N....no." she gave a sheepish smile, "I'll um catch up later." Aki nodded and he and the others paraded into the forest.
Skyuka waited until their foot fall was no longer audible, she sucked in a deep breath and raced off into the woods. Every so often she glanced over her shoulder, her ears back, listening for sounds sneaking up on her.
Eclipse led her merry band of wolves deep into the forest, where she knew the elk raised their calves. She tested the air, and scanned the shadows, until her eyes locked onto the herd, moving in a meadow beyond the trees. Their brown pelts danced in and out of sight, their snorts and calls filled the air and echoed off the mountains, their large flanks rippled as they shook off the flies. Aki drooled as he watch them. "Okay, remember, quite, patience, and speed." Luna and Nighta nodded. "Okay."
Skyuka slowly made her way up the mountain side, her whole body on edge. When a small rock cracked lose and tumbled down near her, she almost flew out of her skin as she stifled a yelp. She let out a shaky breath, as she tried to pull herself together. She looked around, her eyes wide with fear, but her heart racing with anticipation. 'Where is he?' She thought.
Eclipse nodded to Koga and Rain, who took off in separate directions. Koga stayed low, circling behind the heard from the left. Rain went further out, circling around the head of the herd, until she was on their right side. Aki took Nighta and moved stealthily to the head of the herd, laying in the shadows, Aki and Nighta stared head on into the herd. Eclipse and Luna stayed put, on the left side. All the wolves sat, waiting, listening, for the unspoken signal that would begin the hunt.
Skyuka whirled, nearly falling from the ledge when a voice came from behind her. "So, what news do you have for me?" The gruff voice had said quietly. "ONYX!?" Skyuka had yelped. The old dark gray wolf growled, "hush, before they hear us up here." Skyuka grimaced as she looked into the old wolf's face, for as long as she had known him she would never be use to his forboding appearance. He was a huge wolf, with dark gray fur. He had a scar over one eye, and was missing part of an ear. He had a slash over his muzzle, and his tail was bent from having been broken years before. "News?" He growled impatiently. "O...yes..'' Skyuka stammered. "The pack has grown bigger, 2 new adults joined, and the pups are older too.''. "I don't care about the pack." Onyx snapped. "Who is this wolf who thinks he can raise my pups and conquer my land?" Skyuka didn't know what to say, she was always nervous around him. "Well?" He barked. "His name is Aki, they are on a hunt right now," and then without thinking she said "He is recovering from some bad wounds." A grimaced smiled parted Onyx's lips. ''He is, is he?" Skyuka looked at the old male in horror as he set off into the valley.
Suddenly in a blaze of growls Koga charged up behind the back, half a second later Eclipse and Rain darted from opposite sides, squeezing the herd together, and driving them up the meadow to Aki. Luna watched in awe as her Mother and the pack and drove the deer, using stabbing attacks, one wolf would charge up, snapping and barking, surging the herd forward, and the quickly fall back. Then, two wolves would race up the sides, driving the herd close together, panicking them, the fall back. And the assault continued that way until the herd neared her father.
Further up in the woods, Nighta stared as 200 hooves thundered toward him, 50 pairs of white, terrified eyes stared him down, knowing what was about to happen and yet kept barreling down on their hiding spot. He looked to his father, ''Dad?'' But before Aki could hear him, he sprang from his hiding spot. Nighta gaped as his father charged the herd, barking. The herd didn't stop, they saw Aki, they heard the wolves behind them, but knew the only way to safety was straight ahead. Aki, held his ground, and the herd split, stampeding around him around. Nighta whined as the elk galloped only a few feet from him. Aki waited for the last of the herd to race up, he saw the pack had selected a small weak cow, he leapt at her, grabbing her nose.
Nighta and Luna stood in amazement as the pack worked to take down the cow. As Koga clamped his jaw around a back leg, Rain did the same on a front leg. Aki dragged the elk to the ground by her nose, and quick as could be Eclipse delivered the fatal bite. Slowly the pair walked into the field and race up to the fallen beast. "So... did ya'll learn something?'' Aki smiled. "Yeah,'' Nighta smiled. "I want to always hunt in the lead spot." He smiled at his father.
In the shadows a bright yellow eye glared at the happy pack.....
Eclipse stretched, her claws raking into the loose dirt on the cave floor. She shook her fur, dust flying and dancing in the morning sun. She padded out of the cave, standing in the warm rays, falling gently between new leaves on a mighty oak. She took a deep breath, inhaling the musky scent of rotting wood, the sweet odor of new spring flowers, and the subtle hint of rain. She shivered as a cool spring wind ruffled her fur. Feeling alive and invigorated by the wind, she threw her head back, a beautiful howl arose from her mouth, the tone of her song sounding like spring, almost as if calling it forth. A small smile parted her lips, as the sound of yipping echoed in the cave, followed by the scraping sound of claws as they raced for the entrance.
In a blur of fur and growls, Luna and Nighta sprinted from the den. The two pups were 3 months old now, their baby down fur, turning to coarse thick adult pelts, their legs long and spindly, and their paws huge and clumsy.
Luna's gray coat turned paler with each passing day, her eyes, a crisp bright blue. Her body was small, streamline, with fine muscles. Her sight was amazing, and Eclipse knew, one day, she would be an amazing hunter.
Nighta's dark gray coat, only turned darker, though he wouldn't be fully black like Eclipse. His eyes were a piercing, intense yellow, and when they held your gaze it was as if he bore into your soul. He was much taller than his sister, his shoulders broad and well muscled, his back long and strong, and his legs were thick and powerful. 'He'll make a fine alpha someday!' Eclipse often found herself thinking.
Koga and Rain emerged from the den moments later, followed by a tired Skyuka.
Aki and Eclipse nuzzled. They turned to the pups and nodded. "Ready?" Aki smiled. "Yeah.'' They barked in unison. Today was to be their first hunting lesson. Aki and Eclipse lead they way, followed closely by Luna and Nighta, and trailed by Koga and Rain. Aki turned "coming?" He asked Skyuka. "N....no." she gave a sheepish smile, "I'll um catch up later." Aki nodded and he and the others paraded into the forest.
Skyuka waited until their foot fall was no longer audible, she sucked in a deep breath and raced off into the woods. Every so often she glanced over her shoulder, her ears back, listening for sounds sneaking up on her.
Eclipse led her merry band of wolves deep into the forest, where she knew the elk raised their calves. She tested the air, and scanned the shadows, until her eyes locked onto the herd, moving in a meadow beyond the trees. Their brown pelts danced in and out of sight, their snorts and calls filled the air and echoed off the mountains, their large flanks rippled as they shook off the flies. Aki drooled as he watch them. "Okay, remember, quite, patience, and speed." Luna and Nighta nodded. "Okay."
Skyuka slowly made her way up the mountain side, her whole body on edge. When a small rock cracked lose and tumbled down near her, she almost flew out of her skin as she stifled a yelp. She let out a shaky breath, as she tried to pull herself together. She looked around, her eyes wide with fear, but her heart racing with anticipation. 'Where is he?' She thought.
Eclipse nodded to Koga and Rain, who took off in separate directions. Koga stayed low, circling behind the heard from the left. Rain went further out, circling around the head of the herd, until she was on their right side. Aki took Nighta and moved stealthily to the head of the herd, laying in the shadows, Aki and Nighta stared head on into the herd. Eclipse and Luna stayed put, on the left side. All the wolves sat, waiting, listening, for the unspoken signal that would begin the hunt.
Skyuka whirled, nearly falling from the ledge when a voice came from behind her. "So, what news do you have for me?" The gruff voice had said quietly. "ONYX!?" Skyuka had yelped. The old dark gray wolf growled, "hush, before they hear us up here." Skyuka grimaced as she looked into the old wolf's face, for as long as she had known him she would never be use to his forboding appearance. He was a huge wolf, with dark gray fur. He had a scar over one eye, and was missing part of an ear. He had a slash over his muzzle, and his tail was bent from having been broken years before. "News?" He growled impatiently. "O...yes..'' Skyuka stammered. "The pack has grown bigger, 2 new adults joined, and the pups are older too.''. "I don't care about the pack." Onyx snapped. "Who is this wolf who thinks he can raise my pups and conquer my land?" Skyuka didn't know what to say, she was always nervous around him. "Well?" He barked. "His name is Aki, they are on a hunt right now," and then without thinking she said "He is recovering from some bad wounds." A grimaced smiled parted Onyx's lips. ''He is, is he?" Skyuka looked at the old male in horror as he set off into the valley.
Suddenly in a blaze of growls Koga charged up behind the back, half a second later Eclipse and Rain darted from opposite sides, squeezing the herd together, and driving them up the meadow to Aki. Luna watched in awe as her Mother and the pack and drove the deer, using stabbing attacks, one wolf would charge up, snapping and barking, surging the herd forward, and the quickly fall back. Then, two wolves would race up the sides, driving the herd close together, panicking them, the fall back. And the assault continued that way until the herd neared her father.
Further up in the woods, Nighta stared as 200 hooves thundered toward him, 50 pairs of white, terrified eyes stared him down, knowing what was about to happen and yet kept barreling down on their hiding spot. He looked to his father, ''Dad?'' But before Aki could hear him, he sprang from his hiding spot. Nighta gaped as his father charged the herd, barking. The herd didn't stop, they saw Aki, they heard the wolves behind them, but knew the only way to safety was straight ahead. Aki, held his ground, and the herd split, stampeding around him around. Nighta whined as the elk galloped only a few feet from him. Aki waited for the last of the herd to race up, he saw the pack had selected a small weak cow, he leapt at her, grabbing her nose.
Nighta and Luna stood in amazement as the pack worked to take down the cow. As Koga clamped his jaw around a back leg, Rain did the same on a front leg. Aki dragged the elk to the ground by her nose, and quick as could be Eclipse delivered the fatal bite. Slowly the pair walked into the field and race up to the fallen beast. "So... did ya'll learn something?'' Aki smiled. "Yeah,'' Nighta smiled. "I want to always hunt in the lead spot." He smiled at his father.
In the shadows a bright yellow eye glared at the happy pack.....
i'll keep my story going, if you keep yours going too 
you are also very talented.
