When Knave finally awoke it was mid-afternoon and Phelan was nowhere to be seen.

“Phelan?” he called, getting up.

“Phelan!” he called louder, with nervousness. Nothing. He walked a few feet from the trees and across the clearing where the kill had been made. Something caught his eye from the left, and he jerked his head in the direction. Two humans were just a few lengths away and Knave stared petrified. They couldn’t be looking for him but he realized they weren’t. They carried to long metal sticks at there size. Suddenly, jaws clamped on Knaves scruff and he was carried away into the woods but not before a blast exploded behind them. When they both finally reached the woods. Phelan sat him down, panting from exhaustion.

“What’s going on?” the pup asked wide-eyed.

“Hunters” the wolf replied, still panting heavily.

“You mean humans”

“No, I mean humans that hunt animals for food or pleasure.”

“Oh good, I thought they came for me” Knave said, in relief but stopped when Phelan gave him a pained look.

“What?”

“Knave, they must never see you”

“Why not?”

“You’re an Irish Setter roaming around the woods. Of course they will take you and train you to hunt for them.”

“I don’t understand”

“Do you even know what you’re bred for?” Phelan asked in a growl. Making Knave back away.

“An Irish Setter is made to smell out things-animals for that matter: birds and smaller game but it is not hard for them to train you to smell out bigger game. Where ever the dog goes, they go. That’s how pathetic humans are” he snarled again.

“So, if they see me, they’ll try to catch me and train me?”

“Correct. You’re a smart dog not staying with humans. They force you to find food for them when you’re already a slave to them. Then, they kill us wolves, since we’re wild and untamable to them.” he growled shortly and lied down. Knave lied down beside him and kept a steady eye on the humans.

“They won’t find me” he reassured the wolf. The two both dozed again and awoke shortly after. Phelan yawned and stood up, stretching as Knave did the same.

“Alright, I think it’s safe” he tested the wind and walked slowly out of the woodswith the setter following slowly behind.

“Stay behind me for a little while” he advised.

“Ok”

The majority of the woods was quiet. Nothing stirred and Knave wondered if it was because the hunters were still nearby. A sense of uneasiness crept into him and he gulped, trying to shake the feeling off.

“Phelan, I don’t think it’s safe”

The wolf turned and looked at him then tested the wind again.

“Their scent is gone”

“They don’t always have to be downwind”

“Ok, we’ll wait for-”

A yelp finished off the sentence and Knave whirled around to see the hunters a few yards away with the stick aimed on his shoulder.

“Run!” Phelan shouted in pain. The setter turned and ran through the woods. He knew he was painfully loud but none of it mattered. As long, as he got as far away from the hunters as he could. He flattened out his run when he heard leaves and sticks breaking behind him. They were pursuing him. He ran under a thick undergrowth and yelped in surprise when a rabbit burst out of it and ran off. Knave panted and stopped when the noise grew louder. He cringed in fear and waited until he saw the undergrowth lift and felt the uneasiness of being watched.

To be continued…