Children of the Moon

Chapter 9 - Hunting 101

---Fenris’ POV---

Pride filled me as I watched little Nyra and her brother stumble in their Rendezvous site. I slowly stepped back in the long grass and made my way back towards their old den, whilst thinking about what I witnessed.

When the pack had left the pair behind, I had growled lowly, angry that these tests were necessary. A weak wolf would only be a mouth to feed without contributing to the pack’s welfare, thus an unnecessary burden.

I had chuckled when Nyra had stubbornly walked on, keeping herself and her brother on their paws by leaning just enough weight against the other’s shoulders to keep them from falling. I had followed their every move and stopped when they started to lower themselves to the ground, probably in fear.

The small whiskered owl that struck fear in their little bodies hooted again before flying off in the darkness. I chuckled slightly when they laid there, shivering and staying close to each other until they suddenly froze as their ears pitched up and backwards.

Frowning slightly, I turned my head to look around and spotted a jackal sniffing along the tracks that their pack left behind. A low, warning growl emitted from my throat but I knew I couldn’t interfere, however the situation would turn out.

But still, an adult jackal could and would kill a wolf pup given the chance. And I wasn’t too sure I would give it. Coda and Nyra softly whispered something in each others ears while the jackal picked up their scent and pursued them, getting closer with each step.

Suddenly, the two pups stood up and bolted away from the jackal, although I was positive that they couldn’t see nor smell him. A smile crept on my face when I realized that their abilities were active ever since they joined the Watchers.

I had followed them until they stumbled between the paws of their pack members before I left. And now here I was, back at their old site. Sniffing at the soil, I ducked in the den and lingered for a moment, gathering every trace of Nyra’s scent. It was amazing that she held the same essence of fresh snow as the one that was mine.

Snorting the dust out of my nose, I crawled back out of the den and shook my fur out. The pack was at their new site and there, the pups would be taught how to hunt and fend for themselves. I looked back over my shoulder in their general direction before I let out a howl.

My howl resounded through the forest and early morning air until another howl responded in the distance. Pitching my ears, I started in a trot, making my way through the woods until I came at a clearing, where my brother was waiting for me.

“Altaïr, good to see you again.”

He raised his black head and barked out a laugh before moving his weight on his paws. Golden eyes gleamed sharply as they stared at me before he took a step forwards. “You were the one that left the main pack because you couldn’t trust any of them.” He halted for a moment as I growled lowly in my throat.

“And I suppose I don’t have a perfectly good reason to have trust-issues?” I snarled mockingly before I felt my brother’s gaze on my paws before he sighed and cringed slightly. He knew what happened to me when I had trusted those deities.

I unconsciously rubbed my muzzle over the gray blotch of fur on my left paw before I realized what I was doing and growled again, this time annoyed. I shook myself out and turned my head to look behind me.

“Why did you call out Fenris? What is it that you need?”

Growling again, I paced around the clearing as I tried to clear my head from the memories of the past. Being captured. Tricked. Bound. Altaïr must have noticed where my thoughts were going because he stepped closer and bumped in my side, placing his front paws on my back.