The Hunters

Brown Wolf paced impatiently, the moist leaves rustling beneath her heavy paws. Where is he? She thought. I can’t stay out here all night; what if my dad or brother decides to check in on me to make sure I’m sleeping? What if they already have? Seconds before deciding that White Wolf had let her down again, she heard him bounding down the hill towards her. He stopped in front of her, and she nipped his ear for being so late. He nuzzled an apology.

They ran together, brown wolf and white wolf, weaving through the trees under the thin sliver of moon hung in the late November night sky. Energy, power, and adrenaline pumped through their bodies. If you had been a near critter happening to hear them pass, you would have thought it only to be one wolf, for their bodies were in unison; when her paws struck the damp forest earth, so did his, and when his heart beat, so did hers. In the moonlight, they were unison. They were one. The wolves bore to the left. They stopped at the edge of a clearing.

A small herd of elk grazed silently in the moonlit clearing. The wolves crouched, watching. They chose a challenge tonight. Brown Wolf had to convince White Wolf with a flaunt of risky nips, and in the end, had nearly alerted the herd with a wave of her fluffy tail, but all was well, and the hunt was fresh in their hearts.

Brown Wolf and White Wolf crept close to the chosen buck, which was young and strong, and waited patiently for the right moment. The moment came.

The buck turned away from them, and the wolves leapt from their waiting spot, Brown Wolf biting into one of the buck’s back legs, and White Wolf leaping onto its massive back. Caught off guard, the buck panicked, kicking its back legs, and flinging Brown Wolf into the air and against another elk. The herd panicked, scattering this way and that, with few trampling Brown Wolf. White Wolf had sunk his jaws around the buck’s neck, and clung on for dear life. The buck fought, kicking his back legs and turning sharply about, trying desperately to free his neck from White Wolf’s clenching jaws.

Once a majority of the herd had bounded away in fear, Brown Wolf stood, badly bruised, and with two broken ribs. She shook the pain away for the moment, and circled around the buck. White Wolf was loosing his strength. Brown Wolf barked up at White Wolf, alerting the buck of her presence once again. The buck struggled still, focusing on releasing its neck from White Wolf’s jaws, rather than escaping Brown Wolf. Brown Wolf circled around to buck’s side, hoping that White Wolf knew what she was about to attempt. She crouched on her haunches, and sprung. White Wolf released the buck’s neck and leapt to the ground, quickly turning, ready to strike again. Brown Wolf struck the buck’s side with all her weight, bringing it down with a massive thud. White Wolf was at its neck instantly. The buck struggled as White Wolf and Brown Wolf sunk their jaws around its massive neck, but was silenced when they tore the flesh. The hunt was satisfied.

Brown Wolf and White Wolf stood in the moonlight, feasting on their new savored meal. The flesh they tore and swallowed was fresh and pure. The blood was warm and satisfying as it trickled down the successful wolves’ throats. The crunching of bone was the sound the two had long awaited to hear. The hunters were satisfied.

The wolves bounded through the forest side by side, legs and hearts beating in unison, stomachs full from a fresh meal. They came to the edge of a clearing, occupied by a large wooden structure. The wolves nuzzled each other momentarily, then Brown Wolf left White Wolf’s side, trotting to the side of the structure for a moment and glancing back at White Wolf, who stared tenderly after her.

The silence in the night was broken by the cracking of bones, and then Brown Girl scaled up the vine draped arbor, and crept into her bedroom window.

Daniel Roy snuggled down into her warm bed, still wrapped in her brown fur coat from this evening’s outing. Her stomach was full from a good meal, but her body was bruised, and she’d have to create a logical excuse for her mother as for why she had two broken ribs. Her fantasy was over for now, she was no longer Brown Wolf, and no longer a powerful night hunter. She was Daniel Jall Roy, seventeen-year-old junior student attending Proctor Academy, now home for the holidays. Her mind drifted to next week’s holiday, Thanksgiving, but her heart was still savoring every second that she had spent next to white wolf.

Daniel sat up and stared out her window. The moon was a thin sliver hung in the late November night sky, and from somewhere not far in the forest, a wolf howled.

Daniel woke in the morning, body sticky with sweat from being wrapped in her brown fur coat all night. She smiled as she smelled White Wolf’s already fading sent on the fur. Memories of last night’s events surged through her mind and then faded as she heeded the fact that now was not the time for her already arousing crave for the hunt.

Daniel hung her fur coat in the closet and slipped on the necessary undergarments with tight jeans and a cream tank top. She pulled a comb through her wavy, dark brown hair and descended the stairs into the kitchen.

“’Morning,” she greeted her mom, pulling back a chair from the kitchen table and sitting down.

“Good morning,” her mom replied, setting a hot plate of scrambled eggs and buttered toast down in front of Daniel.

“Thanks,” Daniel said, biting into the toast. It tasted bland after a meal like last night’s.

Daniel was in the middle of breakfast when Luke strolled through the kitchen door.

“Oh, hello Luke!” Daniel’s mother greeted him cheerfully, “Sit down, sit down, I’ll make you some eggs and toast,” she said, gesturing to the table with a spatula, and then turning back to the stove. Luke sat down.

“Thanks Mrs. Roy, but I’m going to have to decline, I had a big dinner last night. Steak. I think I might have gotten a little bone, I’m still trying to digest.” Luke smiled. Daniel stifled a giggle and tried to catch Luke's eye, but only got a peck on the cheek and a,

“’Morning Babe,” from him.

“Oh, Daniel, don’t go out for a walk tonight, okay?” her mom said.

“Why mom? What’s wrong?” Daniel asked.

“It’s the strangest thing, but I could have sworn that I heard wolves last night,” she said, still facing the stove and cooking more eggs. “Did you hear anything Dear?”

“No, Mom, you know wolves don’t live around here any more,” Daniel replied. She flashed a playful smile at Luke, who smiled back. She twirled his light blond hair around her finger. It was so blond, almost white, white as a wolf’s coat.