Chapter 1
Padding through the forest, I waited silently, my lessons on hunting working to my advantage as I watched the buck graze unknowingly in a patch of autumn-coloured grass. I stepped forward, the pads of my paws grazing against the forest floor as I stalked quietly, bypassing any sticks and leaves. I counted the herd.
One. Two. Three...
It went up to ten. Eight doe, Two bucks, plus the odd spotted fawn. So that counted to eleven. I flicked my ear, stepping forward again, crouching down lowly to the ground, getting ready to leap from behind the bushes. Mother once taught me 'Hunt out the old or sick. If none are there hunt a doe. Do not hunt the Fawns, for they are the next generation. While the bucks are the fathers of that generation.' I obeyed those rules of course, having her been my Mother, I loved her dearly. I stepped closer to the field of grass, my claws clicking silently against the forest floor. I narrowed my eyes, focusing on one thing and one thing only. The doe on the left side of the field, closest to the trees. It grazed on a patch of grass that was wet with dew from the early morning frost, but hadn't been soaked up by the sun for the shade of the tree hid it.
I leaped.
Scaling across the field faster as a normal animal, my tail streamed out behind me, shining a bright white tip. The herd reared up at the sight of me, neighing shocked. The buck turned and ran from the field, the doe running after him. The mother doe ushered her fawn to follow her by tapping her muzzle against its backside. It whined and cantered after them. The doe I had my eyes on had lifted its head, wildy, turned and ran. I grinned, my tongue lolling out my mouth. How I loved a chase. That was the most exciting thing of a hunt. I held back my speed, calculating how long it would take for the doe to slow down. I watched it, happily leap of bushes, broken branches and other discarded items across the forest ground.
I watched still keeping my eye on the doe as it slowed down, exhausted from the running. I heard its breathe labour as it drew fast gasps. That was the difference between predator and prey. Predators knew when to stop, relax their muscles, not use up all their energy, unless you had to. While prey, on the other hand, knew nothing of that. They ran and ran till they could breathe no more. They didn't use their brains enough to realise they were wasting their energy on a useless task. Predators will always dominate the prey. No matter what. As I circled the gasping doe I recalled the rest of the lesson.
"Predators will always dominate the prey. No matter what. The prey are here for us to conquer, to survive. They feed on the life giving plants while we feed on their life giving blood." Said a large heavy-set man that sat in a chair, watching the crowd of teens and children surrounding him. "But what if they learn?" A voice asked up from the mass. The man laughed quietly, the aging lines on his face crinkling up slightly his greying hair waving down to his shoulders. "They won't. Not in this lifetime that is." He said. "How do you know, Elder?" Another voice asked, the voice revealing a small white haired child. "Because, Anki. The gods would have gave a sign. We can't have prey hunting predators, it's impossible." The Elder said leaning forward resting his chin on his hands that held a elegantly carved cane, the tip of the cane, the form of a howling wolf head. Anki slunk back slightly at the piercing gaze of the old wise Elder as the other children laughed quietly.
"Foolish pup."
"That's stupid to believe that." The children teased , looking at Anki. Anki whined lightly and moved back, climbing out of the crowd and ran out the hut. The Elder watcher Anki leave and sighed."I growled lightly, shaking my white fur the tribal markings shining a deep blue clearly on my fur. I stepped forward, curling my lip of my teeth showing deadly incisors and canines. This was Prey. I was the Predator. Nothing would change that. Nothing.
I leaped forward.
The doe reared, startled. Its hooves caught my chest, though didn't get through the fur to cut my skin. My teeth caught hold of the does' throat. It reared again, kicking its legs up in the air like a bucking bull in a rodeo. I hung on tight like the cowboys who rode them. I clawed its chest, with my back and front claws, ripping through its thin hide and tore through its muscles. The doe neighed in pain. I knew it was time. To show who was the Predator and who was the Prey. The blue moon would disaprove of letting it suffer anymore.
With one swift crunch. I broke its neck. The doe fell limp in my grasp. I laid it gently on the ground, having respect for the dead as much as I did for the living. I sent a prayer up to the Goddess of the Blue Moon before I moved to its stomach area. I crunched down, my teeth breaking through the skin of the doe easily. I gulped down the warm life giving liquid and raised my head, twitching my ear. The wind blew from behind me dragging along a scent. I froze and ducked out the way as a black blurr flew over me.
"Luis, You twit." I muttered sighing at the black wolf. Luis laughed skipping back over to me with a carefree attitude that radiated off of him like the blistering sun did over the water on a sunny day.
"I came looking for you." Luis replied friendly rubbing his muzzle against my neck and cleaned my blood muzzle as a sign of friendship.
"Really Luis, you keep sneaking behind me, I may not realise its you and hurt you." I sighed again swatting his muzzle away with my large black paw.
"But.....Awwwww....No fair." Luis pouted crouching down as he pounced side to side,"Can I have some?....Pleaseee?"
I twitched my ear, watching him and shook my head getting dizzy before stepping back, "Sure, knock yourself out."
"You sure?" Luis asked, surprisingly serious.
I blinked and swatted his head again, "I was joking, idiot."
"Oh....well...I knew that.." Luis shrugged.
"Whatever." I muttered rolling my eyes as I looked around the clearing," I thought Elder had you today?"
"Hah....ehmm...uh oh.." Luis blinked, pulling away from the carcass, looking surprised.
"You forgot?!" I shrilled shocked he didn't remember and started pacing, "You idiot! You twit! You....ugh!" I sighed, running out of things to say.
"W-W-What?! I forgot!" Luis whined, resting his head on the ground as he covered it with his paws.
"You fool! He'll have your hide!" I growled, twitching my tail annoyed, "Ugh, get going, I'll clean this up."
"T-Thanks Anki!" Luis yelped, jumping up when I swatted at him and ran off.
I shook my head and started to bury a grave for the deceased doe. Another lesson our Elder taught us.
"If you kill. You must return the chosen prey back to the Earth. There it will become food for the life giving plants that in turn becomes food for the prey and lastly becomes our food. It's a never-ending circle."Leaving myself to my thoughts I finally finished burrying the doe. After covering it over, I walked to the nearby stream and dove in, washing off the blood and dirt. While in the water I dove under, shifting forms. I resurfaced and looked down at my reflection.
A heart-shaped face stared back, long white haired covering the scars on its cheeks, pale red-violet eyes looked up, sorrowfully. Raising a slim pale hand and splashed away the reflection.
Luis knew. Anyone would know if they looked into those eyes. To see the pain and sadness that lurked in them, to not know what had happened. I brushed a lock of long white hair from my face and tilted my head.
Now. I knew I heard something. I bared my teeth, narrowing my eyes as I sunk further under the water, letting my hair float around me. I swam silently to a patch of reeds and hid behind them. I heard footsteps and tilted my head again. Closer. I moved a few reeds and peered out of them to freeze. A cloaked figure stood at the waters edge looking down at the water. From the scent, I knew it wasn't any of my pack. I moved closer. The figure pulled down its hood revealing shaggy blue-black hair that curled around its sharp featured face.The figure lifted its head and looked around. When I caught sight of its face my breathe was caught in my throat. The man held a strong look, sharp looking peircing amber eyes with green and blue around the edges. The curls of its black hair went down to its shoulders.
'Who was this person..' I thought moving forward. I stopped suddenly realising my form and with carelessness stepped on a twig. It snapped loudly. I froze, lifting my head, my hair hiding of my face as I looked at the man. This mysterious man turned slowly and looked at me,locking gazes.
'Oh....no..'