Ailouros Tails book 3: Rangers Trials

Chapter 7~ Hunted

The Kalkara was taking a steady route. Swerving and backtracking multiple times. Finally, I met up with Aspen and Rust. They had gone ahead and started tracking. Their backs were turned to me in wolf form.

I went silently behind them and gently grabbed Aspen by the scruff of the neck.

Rust took one look at me and bravely went to attack.

I moved out of reach and gently set Aspen down. Both Aspen and Rust moved as a team not realizing who I was.

I wagged my tail and laughed happily.

Confused the two cats paused and looked at me. "Why are you laughing Wolf?" Aspen growled.

"It's me, Ailouros. Rust, I'm surprised you didn't realize that it was me. Aspen couldn't you tell that I wasn't a threat. I didn't draw any blood when I picked you up." I said plainly.

"You scared me!" Aspen argued.

Rust stepped in saying, "Ladies, you're both very lovely. There's enough of me to go around."

Changing into a cat I looked at Aspen. She looked at me and nodded. Together we meowed, "Get him!" before pouncing playfully onto the tom and pinning him down.

"Ok. we need to get back on task," Rust said trying to shove us off.

"Very well, the Kalkara moves fast. These tracks are about four hours old." I sniffed the air because a scent had caught my attention. I found another set of tracks. "The Kalkara is working with a wargal." I meowed to the others.

"What does this mean?" Aspen asked frightfully.

It means we need to step up the pace." I said turning into a black leopard. "Hop on and hold on tight. I'm going to run."

Rust hopped on but Aspen asked, "Can you carry me like a kitten instead. I don't think I could hold on."

"That's fine just try not to wiggle too much." I meowed before picking her up by her scruff again and starting to run. Carrying Aspen was like carrying Shadow. They both kept as still as they could and didn't try to steady themselves. I ran following the trails never straying from either path.

Finally, after a few miles, they quit swerving and I knew that we were catching up with them because their scent became stronger. Then the second set of Kalkara tracks met up with the first one My sight caught the tracks and I then noticed the scent was quite strong. I stopped then set down Aspen and Rust hopped off. "You two stay here and hidden while I take a look," I said to them sternly.

Silently I slipped to the edge of the clearing. Well, it would be more of a clearing if there weren't so many huge rocks. Cautiously I changed into a human and armed my bow with an arrow. Cautiously I went forward keeping with the rhythm of the shadows cast in the moonlight and the faint breeze made by the somewhat tall grass. The moon was only half tonight but I could see with what little light I had.

There was the small squeaking meow of a frightened kitten. The sound came from my right. I froze and glanced at the spot where the sound came from. I didn't move anything but my eyes. It took me a second to see a small silver shape huddled in a small clump of grass. I could tell the little silver cat was shaking. Very slowly I went to all fours and crept closer to the small cat.

Finally, I reached the small kitten, "Are you Myst?" I asked very quietly.

"Look out!" Myst cried as she dove for cover.

I looked up just in time to see the ax flash downwards in my direction.

The ax hit me on the side and I gave a short cry of pain. I would have fallen if the Kalkara hadn't met my gaze. I couldn't move because my blood basically froze.

Concentrating hard I tried desperately to escape the Kalkaras stare. The pain from my wound was severe and I could tell that the wound would be serious if I didn't get help soon.

The Kalkara looked away momentarily and I tiredly slumped to the ground using my body to shield Myst. Whatever happened to me, Myst would be kept safe. Exhaustion swept over me and I lost consciousness.

***

The cry of pain split the air quite the ways to their right. Halt saw the flash of Ailouros's horse as he dashed towards the sound. Halt, Gilan, and Will followed the horse.

They rode hard for about two minutes before reaching a sort of clearing covered in bigger rocks. They stopped to scan the area for danger. A red tabby and a creamy white cat burst into the clearing. The red cat stopped and looked behind a rock. He yowled and dashed behind the rock.

Gilan gasped then whispered, "That's Rust!"

"You two stay here with the horses." Halt ordered before going to investigate.

He rounded some of the rocks being careful to stay hidden. He wouldn't have seen Ailouros if her hair had been covered by her cloak. If she was awake or alive she didn't show it. Halt went cautiously over to her. He found a pulse so for all he knew she could just be asleep. Curled into a ball. Then the dark red tint on her cloak caught his eye. Carefully he lifted the edge of her cloak. His breath caught slightly at the scent of her wound. He pulled out his first aid kit as quickly as he could. He cleaned the wound before wrapping it up.

Suddenly Amaterasu shoved him, not gently mind you, away from Ailouros. "GET AWAY FROM MY ALLYCAT!" She screeched.

"Amaterasu calm down." Halt growled at her.

She realized who she had knocked away from Ailouros and made the effort to calm down.

"Can anyone help her?" Gilan asked kneeling beside his apprentice.

Halt looked at the young apprentice and sadly replied, "I'm not sure."

"Malcolm can save her." Will offered softly.

Halt thought for a moment. "Maybe he can help her, but how are we supposed to carry her. We only have the horses and it would be tough on her in this condition." Halt responded looking at the young girl.

"How about we wait until morning to decide what to do?" Gilan asked.

***

I woke up and could tell I had gotten my wounds tended to. I didn't sit up. "What happened?" I had to ask so I would know I hadn't been dreaming about finding the Kalkara.

"Ailouros you need to rest," Gilan said off to the side.

"Where are the Kalkara and where did that wargal go?" I asked wearily.

"Amaterasu got there before us and took out any Kalkara and must have chased off the wargal. You shouldn't be so reckless and go off on your own." Halt replied to my question.

I fell back asleep before anyone else could say anything.

***

Halt saw Ailouros fall back asleep and knew that he would have to get her to Malcolm before she could get worse. She had a slight fever and had it for the past few hours. She was really pale from the loss of blood.

"We have to get her to Malcolm," Amaterasu stated Halt's thoughts.

"I just need to figure out how we're going to move her safely," Gilan whispered.

"I've been thinking about that issue," Will spoke up from where he had been sitting.

"Your not an apprentice so you've proved that your not too young to think," Halt said softly.

"Well, if we used four good-sized branches and position them like so..." Will started and placed four sticks, two short and two long ones. He positioned them to make the frame of a sort of stretcher. "Then use strong leaves and shrubs for a platform that we can put grass on for padding. We can put Ailouros on it after we build it so we can carry her without having to move her other than to put her on the carrier."

"It just might work. Let's get it made and well give it a try with someone who is not injured to test its stability." Halt said before everyone got to work.