The Champion *ON HOLD*

Chapter 4- Things Get Really Weird

A/N: Okay so I'm just going to warn you all beforehand. This chapter does contain VIOLENT CONTENT!! If any of you reading this are not into violent, detailed, killing of animals, please DO NOT READ THIS CHAPTER. I'll post a recap without all the violence in the next chapter.

Also for those of you who might be curious, the picture on the side is of a Mosin Nagant long barrel rifle. They date back to WWII era and were used as trench guns, complete with a bayonet for close combat situations. They were built to withstand a considerable amount of wear and tear and still keep shooting. They are a bolt action style rifle, and a standard-issue Mosin can hold five bullets in the small magazine, or clip, below the chamber and one in the chamber at once. As far as rifles go, they are incredibly cheap to buy, and super simple to clean. The recoil on a long barrel Mosin is fairly high (although it is not as bad as a short barrel Mosin), and for some, a cushioned pad may be needed to shoot one. As always, guns are not toys to be played with, they are dangerous and must be handled with respect and with gun safety knowledge.

Sorry for the long note, and sorry for this paragraph apologizing for the long note. Anyway, here is chapter 4 of The Champion. Enjoy!

It didn't take her long to reach Tim's house. When she pulled up to his one story ranch house, he was standing on the front porch, waiting for her, a glass of iced tea in his hand. He looked relaxed and had a grin on his face.

Avery couldn't help but appreciate his physical features. He was tall, broad shouldered, with blond hair cropped close to his head. He had a nice face that wasn't overly handsome but wasn't ugly either. She knew he had rather ordinary brown eyes, but they were very warm and inviting when he smiled. She knew that beneath his heather gray t-shirt he was well muscled and very strong. She'd seen him throw a two-hundred pound calf over his shoulders and carry it.

Avery killed the engine in her truck and hopped out, grabbing her guns and slinging them over her shoulders. She gave a command to her dogs and they hopped out of the truck, eager and hyper, tails wagging crazily and tongues lolling from the sides of their mouths.

"Evenin'," Tim greeted Avery, saluting her with his glass of tea. Avery smiled and walked up to the porch.

"Evenin'," She replied, "So, when do you want me to get started?" Tim glanced up at the sky, gauging the setting sun before he replied, "You can get started now if you like, it'll give me time to show you their rooting spots."

"A'right then, let's head out." Tim nodded, drained his glass of tea, set it down, and then walked off the porch, heading around the back of his house. Avery followed him, her dogs at her heels. She followed him around the house to the section that was designated as the "yard," and stopped at a shed. Tim opened the shed doors and walked inside. She waited until he came out in one of those oversized-looking golf carts, called mules, which could do some serious off-roading. He gestured for her to get in and she complied, climbing into the passenger side. Her dogs hopped into the small bed on the back, and after confirming that they were in, he took off toward the back of his ranch.

It took all of five minutes before Tim stopped at a rooting spot. "This is an older rootin' spot, but you can see some freshly turned dirt here." Avery hopped out and examined the torn up earth. Her dogs were right beside her, sniffing, trying to catch a scent. Avery scratched Koda's head and patted Diesel on his rump. She uttered a command and her dogs hopped back in the mule. Tim drove off quickly to show her the next rooting spot.

The second spot was a little out of the way. They had to get out of the mule and walk a ways through some underbrush to get to a small clearing. It was obviously fresher than the last spot. She could see hoof prints in the upturned earth along with dung. She knelt next to a small pile and squished some in her hand. It was about a day old. She wiped her hand on her pant leg and stood up.