Chapter one: the night of the moon hunter
It was a silent night in Yellowstone park. Every mountain peak and every valley was quiet without a single interruption. A herd of wild elk moved through the St. fir forest pausing every so often to eat the emerald grass gleaming in the silver light. They did not know that a black wolf was watching them from the shadows. She licked her lips and went low to her belly. Her tail went out straight behind her swishing back and forth.
She waited until the buck left the herd unattended before creeping even closer to them. She drew in a sharp breathe and watched as a cow elk wondered away from the safety of the herd. She followed the stretch of dark shadow that lead out from under the tree. She kept some distance before dashing out into the moonlight. The herd scattered and the cow dashed. She felt the ground rush under her. She grinned quietly to herself. All of those years of running across the open plains really helps. She went along side the cow giving it a sharp bite to the vain on it's leg.
She paused allowing it to run ahead of her a little more. She heard it sigh and pant. It stomp it's hoof in anger as it tried to make it's way back. The hunter grinned. " not this time." She got down on her hunches, crept slowly along the grass cover, and jumped onto it's leg. It neighed raising it's front legs. She felt it's back leg pull away from her mouth. She left three large fang marks on it's leg. She ran along side of the elk. She jumped back behind it giving it another harsh bite to the leg.
She felt a bone snap underneath the pressure of her fangs. Blood ran onto her tongue. She let go and it tumbled a little bit but got back up afterwards. It tried to smash her with it's front hoofs. " it's going to take a lot more than that to take me!" she challenged. She could her it's rapid pulse. " sorry mate but I am going to have to take your life this time!" she jumped landing the final blow on the neck of the cow. It's body slumped onto the ground in front of her.
She knew one last thing she had to do before eating it. She went to the front of the cow and looked into it's eyes. " thank you. You have had a good run my friend do not worry though I am sure your soul will be able to leave in peace. I shall not waste a single part of you." She promised. She looked up at the sky. " dear spirits of the sky please guide this one up torwards you. May she be able to roam free without harm from predators." She ran her claws over it's side and ripped it open.
A grizzly bear smelt the scent of the blood. It roared loudly before charging torwards where the black wolf was eating. A white wolf watched from a distance. A flash of brown caught his attention. He cleared the hill in two bounds stopping the bear dead in it's tracks. His red eyes glared. " leave me territory at once!" He growled. The bear reared roaring at him when it did. " you dont scare me!"
The bear swung a mighty paw at him. He dodged the attack. He lunged for it's back breaking a rib on it's side. The bear roared hooking it's claws under his belly. Night heard the wolf's cry of pain. She looked up from her meal. She closed her eyes along her aura to stretch around her. All she could see was black and gray. Hits of blue and yellow stretched in front of her. She walked away from the elk corpse running to where the scent trail lend her.
The white wolf screamed in pain. His vision began to blur and the only thing he remembered was a streak of black. Night slammed into the bear knocking it off balanced. She growled at it to leave and watched as it did. Blitz got to his feet.
" quite some work you did there." He wolfed. He licked his side wounds. " what are you doing here?" He asked softly.
" i was hunting an elk cow when i stumbled onto your land by mistake." She replied. She motioned with her tail. " come on i have some left. Your going to need to regain your strength after that onslaught." He went to where the elk corpse was. She layed down on the other side and began to eat.
His belly was full afterwards. He bowed his head at the female. " thank you but i'd better get back to my pack. You can come with me if you want."
Night shook her head. " no thanks but i have had to many close calls here already." Blitz nodded. " okay but you must have a den somewhere right?"
" yes its near my hunting grounds." She wolfed. " i wont be a bother to you anymore."
Night waited until his back was turned before she ran off. " wait i-" he looked to see her gone. " get a name."
Night ran out of Soda Butte and back to the grassy plains. She made a makeshift den in the base of the mountains. She arrived at the begining of her small territory. Her claws dug through the mud to retrieve a hare that she had buried earlier. The fur tasted muddy in her mouth as she set it down in the kill pile. She sighed and layed down on the bed of elk skin. It was begining to get light outside. She reached for a really pale elk antler that she had stashed behind her. She remembered a tale that her mom had told her.
before the reign of man there lived a herd of white stag. Their antlers would gleam in the moonlight as they trekked across the creek. I remember looking across my den at night to see their jeweled sapphire eyes gleaming back at me.
She sighed. She went over to the corner of the den. She ran her paw over a small moss netting that she had over a small bundle. White shined at her. " their all still here." she breathed. She layed back down on her bed and watched the sun rise. " well I guess tonight i will have to hunt."
itz made it back to his land. Rego ran up to him. "Sire! Where have you been!? The pack was worried about you."
Blitz laughed quietly. " off on a hunt when a grizzly attacked me." He stretched out his back leg. " oh dear you better go and see Spotty then."
Night heard yipping outside of her den. She huffed and went to the den enterance. " great the coyote brothers are here."
A small pack of four coyotes swarmed around her den. A red haired coyote with pink markings approached her. " What do you guys want!?" she snapped.
The coyote laughed. " this one is feisty! ain't she fellas!" he yipped. The others nodded in agreement. " come on Night we know you have it."
She sighed. " I have no idea what you guys are talking about."
The coyote growled at her. " I am talking about the stag horns! Now we know you have them!" '
Night huffed. " those old things! I don't know what water pool you guys drink out of!" she laughed.
The coyote growled again. " now listen you either have those horns ready and given to us in three days! or it's bye bye for you wolf!" He threatned. " come on!" his pack chased after him. Night saw a familiar shape in the sky. She made a low, three pitch whistle at it. The hawk landed in front of her. " Hello Night!" greeted Cody excitedly.
Night nodded. " I see the hunting has gone well."
She laughed. " like always." She pulled out a piece of meat and tossed it in front of him. " here." Cody ate it. " so those coyots wanted the horns eh?" he asked.
She layed down again. " yeah but their the last connection I have with my mom." She layed her ears down and whined. Cody thought for a minute. " hey I know a snow wolf pack just beyond Soda Butte!"
She perked her ears. " I'm listening."
" Theres a group of white wolves who are interested in those kinds of horns. In fact it is said that the leader had mystical powers. He controls when the heard of stag shall appear!" He flapped his wings excitedly. " I told him that you had those kinds of horns with you and he said he will be able to take them off your paws."
Night thought about it for a minute. " Alright I will go but I will only travel a few days from now."