One of Runts

Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten: Hunt

        I crouch low behind a bush after rubbing my small body against various pine trees and the various brush. Azrael is about twenty feet to my left. He's helping me scout out the herd for a few good deer.

        I left my nose in the air again and catch the sickly scent of a sick deer. I see about two other deer that are suitable to go after. One has a broken hind leg, but the one deer has a chunk of his leg missing.

        "I see about three possible deer for an easy hunt," I inform Azrael. "The one female is older and sick, while one of the other younger females has a broken leg. Though, I do see an older male with a chunk of his hide missing."

         He sends his emotions down the line and I can tell he spotted at least one of the deer, though I do feel his shock and surprise down the line as he finally spots the deer I was looking at.

        "I think we should go after the sick female and the female with the broken leg," Azrael suggests.

        I flick my ears back slightly. "How often do you hunt?" I ask him, wondering why he wants to go after the female with the broken leg. I feel his confusion, but he answers me anyway.

        "Not too often," he tells me. "I usually only hunt while traveling with my uncle. I usually help with pack training, as well as keeping up with the rogues. I lead one of the hunting groups for getting the rogues, but I'm usually not the one who hunts."

        I send my slight surprise and understanding down the bond. "Do see the one male that I pointed out?"

        "Yes."

        "Do you see how old he is?"

        "Yeah. He's older, but why should we go for him and not the female with the broken leg? She'll be easier to catch."

        "The male is older and has shed his antlers. He's already fought for breeding rights, but with that missing chunk in his leg, I doubt that he'll make it to the next rut," I explain to him, keeping my eye on the grazing deer. "The female's leg is almost healed and I can tell from here that she'll be perfectly fine."

        I feel Azrael's emotions as he goes over what I said. He thinks a bit longer and it feels as if a light bulb just lit up the bond when he finally understands what I said. I am surprised when I feel a strong emotion of respect down the line, so surprised in fact, that my whole body tenses up.

        I peek my head to the side of the tree and bush that I'm hiding behind and look at Azrael. He's already staring at me, his amber gaze piercing me.

         "Since you obviously know what you're doing, I'll let you take the lead," he tells me. I'm not sure why I'm surprised, but I am.

        Azrael is a much higher ranking wolf than me which means that he should be the lead on his hunt. It takes a lot out of a wolf's ego to let a lower ranking wolf take lead, let alone admit that said wolf is better at something than them.

        I slowly nod my head at him and refocus on the herd, putting our conversation in the back of my mind. I trace a circle around the herd of deer, trying to spot an opening. I had ordered Azrael to stay still as I didn't want him to cause us to get caught.

        I turn my gaze to where we came from and speak to Azrael. "Is the Alpha King still in the clearing?" I ask him, keeping an ear towards the herd.

        I wait as Azrael links his uncle before he tells me that he is. I focus in front of me and feel down the bond to where the Alpha King is. As I feel his powerful aura, I calculate that he must be around eighty feet away from me.