Cortana's Return (A Halo Fanfiction)

Chapter 4

Sorry for the delay! I was so busy with my other book and other things! Please forgive me, I'll try to update more. Enjoy!!
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There was a rustle, followed by heavy breathing sounds. Chief woke abruptly, stilling himself and changing his breathing to make it seem like he was still asleep.

The sounds came from directly below him, something moving in bush at the base of the tree. He quickly assessed the situation. No rifle, it was stuck on his back and would take too long to get out. His camo was at low power and would run out any minute. He still had his pistol.

He looked around the small area he could see from the downwards tilt of his head. The bush to the bottom right of his peripheral was moving, but nothing came into view. It paused for a moment and then heavy, muffled footsteps moved closer. Chief quieted his breathing and sat very still. Then a large paw came into view, followed by a large, mostly furry body.

It was a type of wolf, larger than anything Master Chief had ever seen. It had huge kanine teeth and short, black, coarse hair. It's back had medium-sized spikes, like fat porcupine quills, some with splatters of long-dried blood. It lifted a paw and scratched the tree-bark, revealing long, curved talons. It had the same spikes on the backs of each joint where a human's elbow would be. 

Chief stiffened as it looked up the tree, directly towards where he was sitting. It scanned the airspace Chief occupied and sniffed, moving it's nose up and down. Chief quickly looked around without moving his head for an escape route. He would prefer to avoid a fight with such a creature. There was a large branch overlapping a limb from the tree he was on two branches above him. He looked back down and was alarmed to see the wolf had begun to climb, it's nose wrinkled as it sniffed for him. The large, curled claws hooked easily onto the tree.

Chief quickly hopped up into a crouched position and sprang for the branch above him. There was a snarl and as he hoisted himself up the branch to reach for the next one, he looked down to see the wolf gaining on him, it's lean muscles rippling as it climbed.

He grabbed onto the other branch and pulled himself up, scraping the front of his chest plate. The wolf couldn't have been ten feet down. The snarls grew louder and it snapped it's teeth, howling as Master Chief stood on the branch and crossed onto the larger branch.

Another howl answered it and the wolf jumped onto the branch across from Chief. He whirled around to meet it and drew his pistol in one swift movement. The wolf walked across the branch towards his, it's needles bristling. Chief fired his magnum at the approaching wolf. It snarled and lunged, wincing as bullets tore into it's chest and muzzle.

It tackled Chief, knocking his magnum from his hand and snapped for his helmet. Chief grabbed it's jaws, struggling to keep the massive teeth away from his helmet. It scratched his armor with it's claws, tearing a shallow strip out of his chest plate and scratching up the rest.

He grunted and got his foot between it and his body, kicking it off. It slid back a few feet and lunged again, but Master Chief brought out his knife, stabbing it in the right side of it's head as it opened it's jaw to bite his helmet. It immediately fell slack and slid off of him, falling through the branches.

Chief watched it hit a branch before making a sickening thud as it hit the ground.  He wiped the blade on the branch, placing it back on his thigh. He had to get out of there. The other wolf would be coming.

He hopped down the branches and landed on the ground, grabbing his magnum and immediately running in the opposite direction of the second howl. After a few hundred feet he stopped at a stream and washed his armor to rid himself of the scent of the first wolf. Then he tread down the stream a ways and hopped out on the other bank.