Wolves Of The Red Hunt Pack

A Lesson In Tracking

( Four weeks later.)

(Lilac wakes up in the early morning due to a headache. Lakota wakes up when he notices her heat is gone.)
Lakota: Hmm? Dear? What's wrong?
Lilac: I've been thinking about our future pups. Same old same old.
Lakota (sitting up): I know. I'm so excited to be a father.
Lilac: How are we going to keep our family hidden? You saw what Capri did to Pyrons pups.
Lakota: Yeah...
Lilac: When are you going to challenge Wendigo?
Lakota: I cant yet.
Lilac: Why not? Lakota we are running out of time. I'm pregnant and its beginning to show.
Lakota: I know. But think about it. If Capri is still on the pack when I challenge Wendigo and if I loose with him knowing that you are pregnant they may kill you.
Lilac: That's true.
Lakota: Anyway. Are you hungry?
Lilac: Yeah. A little.
(Lakota gets up.)
Lakota: Alright. I'll be back. I'm going to get you some food.
Lilac: Please don't go, the alpha will be pissed if he finds out you're gone.
Lakota: That's ok as long as you and our pups are fed.
(Lakota walks out the barn door off to get some food. Capri wakes up noticing that Lakota is gone.)
Capri: Whered Lakota go?! Did he not learn his lesson about sneaking off yet?!
Lilac: Capri the only reason you're still here is because of the Alphas pups. Remember that before you whine about who's doing what.
Capri (snarling): Its my pack. I'll stay here as long as I want to. If I say that Wendigo needs to back off I'll beat him into his place if I have to.
(Lilac rolls her eyes and puts her head down on the floor. Pyron comes down from the Hayloft and Moon comes with her. Lilac picks up her head again and looks at them.)
Lilac: Good Morning Pyron.
Pyron: Good Morning. Lilac. May I ask you a favor?
Lilac: Sure.
Pyron: The alpha told me that he wants moon to learn to hunt a little early so she can help provide food for his pups. Can you train her to hunt?
Capri: Why don't you raise your own pup for once?!
Pyron: I have to babysit you. That's why.
(Capri snarls and lays her head down.)
Lilac: Sure. Lakota and I will teach her what we know.
Pyron: Where is Lakota anyway?
Lilac: He went to go get us some food.
(A lightbulb goes off in Lilacs mind.)
Lilac: Actually. Moon. Why don't we join him?
Moon: I'm a little nervous.
Lilac: Dont worry. We wont hunt today, but I want you to watch Lakota do it.
Moon: Alright.
(Lilac leads moon outside and then picks her up. Lilac runs with Moon and they catch up to Lakota. Lakota stops walking when he sees them and let's them catch up.)
Lakota: Baby what are you doing out here?!
(Lilac sets Moon down.)
Lilac: Pyron wanted me to teach Moon to hunt.
Lakota: Isnt she a bit young?
Lilac: Well, the alpha wants her to learn to hunt before his pups are born so that she can help feed them.
Lakota: Ah. I take it Pyrons babysitting again?
Lilac: Yep.
Lakota: Alright Moon. I want you to stay with Lilac and watch me hunt. It's good experience for you at you're age.
Moon: Yes sir.
Lakota: But, first things first. I want you to smell the ground right in front of you, then smell the ground in front of me.
Moon: Why?
Lakota: First I'm going to teach you to track prey.
Moon: Alright?
(Moon smells the ground in front of her. Then the ground in front of Lakota. She jerks upright suprised.)
Moon: The two areas smell different!
Lakota: That's right. Do you know which one is the ground and which is the scent trail?
Moon: No, I don't.
Lakota: Take a good whiff of where you were sniffing while I told you to sniff the ground in front of you and lock that scent into you're mind as the average ground.
Moon: Alright. Done. But what's the scent from that's in front of you?
Lakota: Its called a deer scent.
Moon: So you're tracking a deer?
Lakota: Yes. Now tell me if you can tell the sex of the deer.
Moon: No I cant. How do I tell?
Lakota: The doe's scent is usually a lot less smelly then a buck.
Moon: So judging by the scent you are following a doe?
Lakota: Yes Moon. Well done, you learn fast.
Moon (smiling): Thanks.
Lakota: Now. I want you to follow the scent. I will follow right behind you.
Moon: Ok...
(Moon follows the scent for a little while and worriedly looks up.)
Moon: I lost the trail!
(Moon turns to Lakota.)
Moon: I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!
Lakota: Moon theres nothing to be sorry about.
Moon: But I lost the trail.
Lakota: This is one of the oldest tricks in the deer book. When he thinks hes being tracked he takes a long jump to the right or to the left to throw predators like us off. Smell around the area. And be warned that he can and usually does jump back and forth to slow us down.
Moon: Got it.
(Moon sniffs around and picks up on the trail again. Then she looses it again. Then she picks up on it again and follows it. Then eventually they come up on the deer.)
Lakota (whispering): Alright. Stay quiet and sneak to that hilltop, then watch me from here.
Lilac: Got it.
(Lilac leads Moon around the deer and up onto the hill crouching. Then she lays down.)
Moon: Aunt Lilac. Why do we have to sneak around him and be quiet?
Lilac: Well, he spooks easy and if we want to get close enough to be able to run him down we need to stay quiet and low. Not only because he can hear us. But see us. Now look. Theres Lakota. Do you notice anything about his position?
Moon: He doesnt move when the deer's head is up.
Lilac: Right. What else?
Moon: Hes moving slowly.
Lilac: What else?
Moon: I dont know?
Lilac: Well, for starters look at the path hes choosing to stalk that deer. Hes using the path that has cover but barely any grass under him.
Moon: Why?
Lilac: He can hear very well. So it's best to choose the path with nothing that can crunch. It may be a longer path but you have a better chance of sneaking up on the deer successfully.
Moon: Oh.
Lilac: The second thing is Lakotas ears. Notice how they're straight forward?
Moon: Yes.
Lilac: When hunting in a group the ears of the alpha will point to the deer or whatever they're hunting that they want the rest of the pack to help them take down. When the alpha sets his ears down like Lakota is doing. Then theyre getting ready to strike.
Moon: Wow.
(Lakota bursts up and runs after the deer. Moon watches curiously and Amazed lakota bites one of the deer's back legs and knocks him down. Lakota then clamps his jaws down on the deer's neck.)
Moon: Why does he have the deer's neck in his mouth?
Lilac: To kill it. Its cruel to eat animals alive.
Moon: Oh. How long must he hold on?
Lilac: Until the prey stops moving.
Moon: Ok.
(When the prey stops moving Lakota let's go of the prey and motions Lilac and moon to come down. Moon and Lilac come down. Lilac and Lakota pick away at the fur moon watches and does the same. Then they dig in and eat. Lilac eating the most out of the three.)
Lakota: Jeez honey, if you were that hungry you should have told me sooner! I would have fed you and our pups sooner!
Moon: Pups?! You have pups?!
Lakota: Yes we do.
Lilac: Lakota I dont think that's a good idea.
Lakota: Shes just a pup. She wont tell the Alphas
Moon: No I wont. Have they been born yet?
Lakota: No, not yet. But soon they will be.
Moon: I hear that Capri should be giving birth any day now.
Lilac: I have a few more weeks.
Moon: Ok.
Lakota: Now. Let's go home. I'm sure the alpha is worried about us.
Lilac: Yeah. Dont tell the alpha that I'm pregnant Moon. I mean it
Moon: Yes ma'am
(Lakota, lilac, and moon all go back to the den. When they go inside they're met with a suprise. Capri is on the ground and Wendigo and Pyron are sitting in front of her. Lilac and Lakota walk over and see what the commotion is about. 3 brand new pups have been born and were just cleaned.)
Wendigo: Arent they beautiful?
Lakota: Wow. Man those are some fine looking pups.
Lilac: Congratulations, both of you
Wendigo (softly): Thanks.
(Lilac and Lakota look at each other. Then they look at Capris pups. They sit and watch the pups for a long time. Wendigos eyes smiling with love.)