Cana, Eloin's sister was angry that her sister was still Alpha, without introducing any new pups into the pack at all in her two year reign. She too had grown up with Anlach and had never taken any notice of him until he had started to grow into a fine young wolf. Now she was coming into season and without the right to breed, her hormone levels were sky high, but for now she was calmed by the thought of tearing some old animal to shreds. As the pack set off to the Gully, where the red deer herds had settled the runners set off to the right, getting into position and waiting for the stalkers to maneuver the prey toward them. Eloin was among the runners, as was Anlach, Cana however was stationed at the river awaiting the arrival of the deer for she was part of the killers.

"Should we go now?"

"Not yet Eloin, I haven't spotted a target yet!"

"Anlach I've spotted a possible target! A hind with a weakness in her right fore leg" Growled a large brown and white male wolf by the name of Kilon.

"I see her, I'll let the stalkers know!"

"But Anlach, she has a calf!" Eloin looked horrified, the thought of leaving cub without its mother was almost as unbearable as a mother never being able to birth a pup.

"Eloin shes injured, the laws of the wild are the wolves weed out the sick or injured to give the young and healthy a fighting chance. There is nothing you can do to change that!" A blood curdling howl broke up the night and sent shivers down the spines of the deer, they began to group together, hiding the calves that were unable to keep up the pace if the herd fled. The doe with the weakened fore leg began to panic, she wanted to run but couldn't, her leg was aching from a terrible fall and her calf was to young to flee, he was but three suns old and relied completely on her nitrous milk for survival.

The fur on the Alphas back seemed to quiver as he dropped down like a cat and began to edge forward through the grass, scenting the air as though tasting it, his ears cocked forward, his eyes suddenly full of a sly cunning. The whole wolf pack's instincts were fully engaged, as the stalkers began to edge ever so slowly, close to their prey. It had been fifteen suns since the pack had last eaten and they were in desperate need of a kill. Suddenly the injured doe lifted her head and the whole herd bolted to wards the thicker cover. The wind had changed. From the dark cover of the fir trees, three sleek grey shapes came shooting to wards them. Joined by the five runners, the eight wolves moved as fast as darting swallows, but springing into a clear, straight line across the grass, covering the space between the deer and the trees within seconds.

The injured doe began to trail behind the rest as they fled, and as the pack closed in the four killers lepta out from the cover of the under brush and swerved to wards her. But suddenly a loud, ear splitting cry reached up into the sky and shook the heavens. A large black male wolf, by the name of Bramble had been viciously kicked full on in the face and as his legs buckled beneath him, blood began to poor from the deep, open wound on his fore head. The stag that had delivered the fatal blow snorted furiously then raced off.

"Don't let them get into the trees!" Anlach cried frantically, for he new how vital it was that the pack made a kill.

Eloin hardly needed to be told as the she-wolf raced after the rest of the deer. She was coming from the right and she made straight for the injured hind. Cana came up by her side along with Kilon and Anlach on the left hand side, the four wolves working together instinctively, as they had done many hunts before, closing in steadily for the kill. The rest of the pack working to separate the rest of the herd away from this hind.

Closer the wolves came, and closer, to the crippled deer and, just as Cana snapped at its right hind leg, Anlach pounced. He was round the doe's neck and, as the deer rolled, his huge moth closed. The wolf bit deep, drinking the hot, sweet blood as it flowed between his teeth, his jaws snapping like a trap around the warm fur. The bite was fatal and, as the hind tumbled in the grass, it was dead before it even stopped moving.

Anlach held on to make sure his prey was dead, shaking its neck back and forth like a broken twig. As its body went limp, Anlach was certain it was dead and only then did he let go. He raised his head with pride and let out a long heart felt howl, Cana, Kilon and the rest of the pack joined in. Only Eloin hung back, her eyes fixed on a bush not far from the pack, she new what was hidden there and was horrified at the thought of leaving it all alone, but if the pack found it they would surly kill it.

"Stay here, it'll be okay, I will come back for you I promise!" She whispered and nuzzled the little buck before running off to join the pack in the feast.