said.
"...sure do Achak." Nick said.
"...then lead the way." Achak said.
With that he and Nick started walking through the forest. Kanook stood there watching them until they faded from view, then he turned to Dartanion. "Get the rest of the pack together... the sun will be rising soon and we'll need to hunt for the days food."
Dartanion nodded and ran off down the hill to carry out the order.
Kanook turned and looked over at the hill that Nick and his nephew had disapered over. "...be careful Achak." He said quietly. Then he turned and walked down the hill.
Chapter 9
The pack had some trouble finding prey this day. It was nearly sunset, and if they didn't make a successful kill soon the pack would have to wait until tomorrow, but it seemed as if nature might have cut them a break.
Kanook stood just inside a tree line looking at a herd of deer just down the hill. He turned and nodded to the rest of the pack, who fanned out behind him. The pack was in luck. There was an injured deer in the herd, and not only a deer, but a fairly large buck.
Kanook looked at the right side of the formation and nodded again, silently cueing the wolves to go after one of the does. The doe would feed Shiro and the pups back at the cave. The injured buck would provide for the rest of them.
The wolves from the right side of the formation broke off, forming their own v-shaped formation. Kanook looked back at the remaining wolves and nodded again. Then he turned and started walking down the hill.
The buck looked up and Kanook froze. It seemed as if an eternity passed, predator staring at prey, and prey staring right back. Then the deer snorted, alerting the rest of the herd and turned tail, bolting across the meadow.
"...Kiona go!" Kanook yelled. He knew that she was the fastest in his group and that he could count on her to catch the injured deer before it got away.
Kiona took off running, easily pulling alongside the young buck. She came up on it's right flank and leapt through the air, colliding with the deer's shoulder. Both deer and wolf sprawled to the ground, landing hard. Kiona, who was by this time an experienced hunter, was quick to recover and rolled to her paws only moments after the impact.
Kiona's thoughts shifted inexplicably to Achak then. "I wonder where he is?" She thought. "...if he's okay?" It felt strange to her to have to wonder these things. The Alpha Male had been her ever present companion for so long now she was unused to his absence.
Kiona was brought back to the matter at hand by a blur of brown as the buck lashed out at her with its hooves. Kiona rolled to the left and the hooves slashed through the air she'd occupied moments before. "I've got to keep my focus." She thought. Kiona knew that the buck's hooves were deadly missiles that could seriously wound or even kill her if she was careless. She crouched down and growled at the deer, preparing to spring at him. Kiona turned and saw that Kanook and the rest of the pack were still too far away to help her. She would have to handle this buck on her own.
She sprang at the deer and her jaws found purchase in his hide, tearing through to the muscle of the deer's shoulder. She hung on to the deer as it bucked and swung her around. Kiona knew that if she lost her grip and fell beneath the deer he would surely trample her to death.
The rest of the pack seemed to be taking forever to get to her. In reality only a few seconds had passed since the fight began. To Kiona, who was right in the middle of it, it seemed like hours.
The deer succeeded in getting one of it's back legs over the attacking wolf's head and brought it's hoof down hard on the back of her neck.
Kiona yelped and her jaws snapped open. She lost her hold on the deer and soon found herself flying through the air. She saw only a blur of white before she hit the ground. The deer snorted and ran towards her. The air had been knocked out of her lungs and Kiona found it hard to breathe. Her head started to throb, but she shook it off. There was no time to deal with it now. The deer was in her face before Kiona could get back to her paws and she brought her forelegs up around her face. The deer's hooves could break bone, and though it would be a crippling injury, Kiona would rather have a broken leg that a crushed skull.
Kiona rolled with the deer, trying to get out from under it as it continued to pummel her forelegs. It wasn't long before one of the deer's hooves connected with the side of her leg and Kiona felt an intense burn travel up into her shoulder. She rolled away from the deer, coming up on her paws, but the deer saw that he had hurt her and pursued her. Kiona had barely gotten her bearings when the deer's leg came up under her, kicking her hard in the stomach.
She yelped again and was tossed to the snow, landing on her side and sliding a bit before she came to a stop. This time she didn't even have time to prepare, the deer was just there. Kiona tucked her head close to her chest as the deer started kicking her again. Kiona tried to ball up, protecting her vital organs by rolling and trying to block the strikes with her legs, but one of the deer's hooves came down hard on her her shoulder, just below her back. Kiona screamed and she felt a splash of blood across her side, then she started feeling dizzy. She was only vaguely aware of a voice calling her name as the deer began to pummel her again, the sounds of her whimpering and yelping drowning out all else in her mind.
The deer finally caught her unprotected and it's hoof smashed into the side of her head, just below her ear. Kiona's vision fractured and she went limp, no longer trying to protect herself as she drifted away...
Kanook was running as fast as he could. He could hear signs of a struggle in the woods ahead of him and knew that it had to be Kiona and the deer. Kiona had chased the deer across the meadow and into a small but thickly wooded area. "I'm coming Kiona!" Kanook called. He ducked under a branch and finally he could see her. The deer had her down and was advancing against her again and again. Kanook's sharp eyesight took in the scene and analyzed it in a second. The snow was pink underneath Kiona, and although Kanook could see a patch of blood on the buck's shoulder, he didn't think that the majority of it belonged to the buck. Kanook saw the deer kick Kiona in the side of the head, and she stopped fighting, her forelegs dropping to the snow, twitching slightly. Her eyes were open, but she had stopped resisting. "Kiona!" Kanook yelled. Then he leapt.
Kanook soared through the air and smashed into the deer's back. The startled deer reared up, but Kanook was an experienced fighter and it didn't take long for his sharp teeth to find their mark. He sunk his teeth into the deer's throat and jerked his head side ways, feeling the skin and sinew rip away. A splash of blood hit his face, then he jumped off the buck's back.
Kanook landed on his paws and whirled around to see the deer try to run, but the blood loss had made it clumsy, and it went down, kicking in the snow. Kanook knew it was only a matter of time.
Kanook sighed and turned around, looking at the crumpled form of Kiona a few yards away. he padded through the snow, sure of what he'd find.
"...how could I let this happen?" He thought. "I gave the order... Achak left her in my care and I... now she's..." Tears started to come to the older wolf's eyes. "...what am I to do now?" He thought.
Kanook finally made it over to her side. Blood matted the fur on her shoulder and the side of her head. other minor cuts covered her forelegs, evidence of her attempts to block the deer's attacks.
Kanook sighed and nudged her.
She didn't respond.
By this time the others of the pack had made it to the wooded area and and Kanook turned to look at them.
Ayashi stepped from the group. When she saw Kiona lying on the snow her mouth fell open, but no words came out.
Kanook sighed and shook his head slowly, then he began to walk back to the group.
Ayashi darted forward, but Kanook caught her, holding her back. "Kiona was her best
friend." Kanook thought. "...she doesn't need to see her like that."
Ayashi tried to fight Kanook and get passed him, but Kanook held her back.
Not an eye was dry in the group of wolves. "...I guess... that wolf-dog touched us all." Kanook thought. He closed his eyes and Ayashi increased her vigor to get away from him.
The female finally found her voice. "Kanook, Kiona she's...."
Kanook cut her off. "...I... I know Ayashi." He said.
Ayashi shook her head and finally managed to get out of his grasp, darting toward Kiona.
Kanook sighed and turned, then he stopped.
Kiona was laying on her side... but her eyes were open.
"Kiona!" Ayashi yelled as she reached the injured wolf's side. "Kiona, you're alright!"
Kiona closed her eyes and shook her head slowly. "I... I think so." She said.
Ayashi nuzzled her friend. "I thought we'd lost you for sure!"
Kiona tried to stand and after a few tries she succeeded. "I... I thought you'd all lost me." She said.
Kanook smiled and walked toward her. "Kiona, are you alright?" He asked.
A look of disdain took over Kiona's face.
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comebacks some how I've got my fingers crossed