The fives wolves had awaken early to slip out of the city unnoticed. At least they would have if they had not come across a strange sight. "Ugh, what is that thing? And how is it moving if it doesn't have any legs?" asked Hige. Tsume snorted, "That 'thing' is a snake. I've seen a few before. They are hard to catch though." "How can they be hard to catch if they don't have legs?" inquired Toboe. "It's because they don't have legs that they are hard to catch. They can fit into small places and hide," answered Kiba kindly. Then Tsume turned to the she-wolf, "Can you hunt?" Alueme felt slightly offended by the question, "Well of course I can. What kind of wolf do you think I am?" Tsume smirked, "Then let's see you catch that snake." "Alright, fine," she retorted. If this was how she was to gain acceptance with these wolves, she'd do it.
Alueme turned and followed the scent of the snake. It led her around a few corners and then she caught sight of it. The she-wolf quickened her pace a bit, but not so much to look suspicious. She was about twenty feet away from it when the reptile slipped down a storm drain. She came to a stop right above and looked down. The snake had escaped into the sewer. "Just great..." she mumbled as she thought of her options.
I'll have to find a way into the sewer, she thought, either that, or I'll have to give up and go crawling back to those males. "That's a no-brainer," she whispered to herself. She looked up and down the street. No one was in sight, but just to make sure, she sniffed the air. No people were coming so she dropped her human disguise for a moment and clenched her teeth around the drain's iron bars. She braced her paws on the concrete and pulled with all of her strength.
After a few moments, the already weaken drain cover came free. Alueme gently let it to the ground and slid it next to the dark opening. Once more she sniffed, the coast was still clear. She could hear water rushing down below her in the sewer. "Now or never," she muttered. She took on her human camouflage again and lowered herself into the hole in the concrete. She braced herself halfway through and grabbed the drain piece.
Then she let herself fall while still holding the iron bars. As soon as she felt it fall back into place with a jerk she let go and fell into the water below her. It was not as deep as the she-wolf had thought, but it was enough to break her fall.
No sooner then she had hit the stream; it began to pull her with its current. She could easily keep her head above the icy, prying fingers of the water. Now the only problem was where did the snake get to? "That's the least of your problems..." came a wispy sounding voice. Alueme could hardly suppress a growl in her throat, "Who the hell are you and how did you know what I was thinking?!" "Tsk, tsk, such language coming from such a pretty young wolf!" The voice sounded almost ghastly now.
Alueme remained quiet as she drifted through the darkness. There was only the occasional light from storm drains overhead. She did her best to keep her thoughts clear and her own voice dead. What ever that voice was, it was most surely gone by now, right? But her hopes were dashed as the mysterious voice returned, "That creature you are chasing, the one you call snake? It is very near now. It has crawled up onto the inner sidewalks of this sewer. Go now fellow hunter, and chase your prey." And with that the voice disappeared into the darkness again.
Not having much of any other choice, Alueme pulled herself out of the chilling water and onto the concrete ledge. She took her wolf form and shook herself dry. "Time to hunt," she smiled. She had gotten a chance to hunt rodents a lot when she was younger. The she-wolf had always enjoyed the thrill she got from stalking her small victim, to sinking her canines into it.
Alueme cocked her ears and listened for any sound of movement. She couldn't hear anything except the rushing water at her side. Nonetheless the she-wolf stalked forward in the darkness. She strained her ears for other sounds. She picked up the clicking of her claws on the hard ground, and then, from around a corner she heard the snake. "I've got you now, you stupid snake," breathed Alueme.
She quickened her pace and by the time she rounded the corner, the reptile was only about thirty feet ahead of her. Now she was running towards the snake and as she closed in, she couldn't help but smile. Her jaws drove down and around the snake's neck and clamped tightly around it. After hearing a satisfying crack, she sat back on her haunches and let her muscles relax for a moment. She hadn't realized how tired she was after having to keep her head above the water. But now she realized she had another problem. How to get out.
She couldn't have made it out a storm drain if she tried. It was too small a hole to jump through, even if she had left it open. She exhaled, mainly through her nose because she still held the dangling reptile in her mouth. Her instincts were telling her to go in the direction of fresh air, but her mind was saying no. What was she to do now?
Okay, I know I'm evil to leave it hanging like that, but I need some time to come up with more ideas. I am very sorry it took so long for me to update. I apologize. And about making the chapters longer; I think that three pages in Word is an okay length of chapter. Yeah, well, please review for this. If you feel like it that is. I can't force you to do anything. (I wish I could, I would make tons of people review...)