The Legendary Red Wolf

Chapter 4

I only get a few hours' sleep before my mind body clock makes me wake up, usually if I sleep I'm up at six am, today I've been allowed to get up at seven instead but thats probably because it was around 3:30am when I went to bed. I yawn as is stretch, arching my back over the sofa and then I swing my legs over and stand up. I meander over to the kitchen and take a look in the cupboards only to come up empty, so I walk back over to Sapphire and gently shake her awake. She stirs and blinks at me blearily.

"Morning, how's your hunting?"

"Pretty good," she says through a yawn. "Why?"

"Well I haven't got anything to eat in here so I'm going hunting. It would be good to see how you hunt. Give me an idea on what I'm working with" I explain to her and she wakes up quickly now that she knows I'm going to be watching her.

"Alright, no pressure then" She chuckles.

I laugh as I walk to the door and hold it open for her, she stands and goes out the door before taking an instinctive step back when she sees the silver bars, her eyes widen and her jaw drops in shock.

"Whoa, isn't this a bit much?" Sapphire asks. "What if you accidently touch it?"

"No, it doesn't affect me. Just try and be careful, I need this place to feel secure as I'm usually the only one here."

I press a button on the number pad and a section of fence swings open. I step out and shift, Sapphire follows suit. I trot ahead silently, I listen to the forest with my ears pricked but I hear nothing, so I put my nose to the ground and take a sniff, out of the corner of my eyes I see Sapphire doing the same. A faint scent tickles my nose and I turn to follow it, I go left, loping gracefully along the trail, avoiding twigs and leaves as I go and Sapphire does the same with ease. She's good, I look forward to training this female.

I stop abruptly, I didn't need to but I wanted to test Sapphire's reflexes, she stops a second after me, that's quite impressive. I can hear the herd through the bushes a head of us and I sink to my stomach as I crawl under a bush to take a look, it's weird hunting in this form, having never done it before I'm mostly going on instinct and fact as well as letting Crim come forward a little. I look over the choices and easily pick out the easiest target. The doe is old and injured and only a few metres away from us.

"Which one are you thinking of going after?" I link

"The old one right in front of us, she has a limp and is not long for this world anyways" Sapphire replies

"Good" I compliment "Follow my lead"

I move into a crouch, tensing my muscles as I wait for the doe to get into the perfect position. a few seconds pass and then she turns away from us and I launch out of the bush, making the deer freeze momentarily from shock before darting away. I focus on my target and leap onto her, digging my claws into her hindquarters, allowing Sapphire to make the kill. The doe bucks, trying to dislodge me and Sapphire runs around the side and latches her jaws into the fleshy part at the front of the neck, ripping it clear away. The doe lets out a strangled bleat as blood pours out of her throat, Sapphire jumps at her again and clamps her jaws around the neck before jerking her head and a crack echo's through the forest. The doe drops and I spring off her back, rolling onto my paws.

"Well done, you did well."

"Thanks," Sapphire grins her tongue hanging out gleefully.

"Well, we have a long day ahead of us, you especially. Let's eat" I tell her and she looks a little scared.