It was late when Amthy finally arrived at Ardane. She had walked from the inn. Normally, this wasn?t the least bit upsetting, but that particular evening the road was empty, and quiet, once she left the city limits. She was not frequently given to fits that caused her to fear the dark, but there was a pregnant presence in the winter air that gave her pause. Amthy found herself jumping at shadows, and at the soft whirl of dead leaves rustling beneath a breeze. The hunt hadn?t even started and her heart was already pounding. The air was wet, and so was the ground. The only comfort to be found was in the bright, shining light of the twin full moons over head.
?Cayt?? Amthy called out softly to the front step of Ardane from the main walk that led to it. She hadn?t known what to expect, to be completely honest, but she had hoped for something along the lines of a party. It didn?t have to be a drunken revel. A cocktail party would have served splendidly. While hope might spring eternal, a party was not in the cards. There was no one in sight, save for a white lump of fur curled up on the steps.
Claws clicked to stone as the shaggy white wolf pushed up from the steps with a groan, and approached her. The wolf?s tail was held in a relaxed position against its hind legs, and its mouth was open with teeth covered. Flicking its ears straight forward, the animal brushed in close, winding around Amthy?s legs. The wolf then danced playfully back away from her. Ducking her head down low, and the animal?s hindquarters went up. Cayt?s dingy white muzzle crossed over one of her forelegs as she wagged her tail side-to-side. Excitement and anticipation sparked through the mental link, and danced across Amthy?s awareness. The emotions brought a smile to the nymph?s lips.
?Yes, I?m ready,? Amthy giggled breathlessly. The tension she had accumulated on the walk melting away. ?Where is everyone else?? She spared a glance around the front of the gray stone manor, and tipped her head quizzically.
The wolf gave a low huffy whine, and continued to dance and hop as she skittered away from the steps of Ardane, and in the general direction of the wood. Once the wolf had gone a short distance, she stopped and paced back and forth. It was clear that Amthy was meant to follow Cayt. She just hadn?t taken her mind to do so just yet, airy thing that she was.
?Ah! They?re already in the wood? I?m late, then?? Amthy asked sheepishly. A hint of green stole across her cheeks as she blushed, and the scent of strawberries wafted on the damp, early morning breeze. Cayt merely snorted and yipped in reply.
Amthy shifted her hold on her bow, and jogged to meet up to where Cayt pranced and paced. Instead of waiting, each step that Amthy took closer to Cayt drove the wolf further away from her. Laughing, she picked up the pace. Soon the two of them were running over the rolling green pasture that divided Rising Star from the woods. Amthy?s steps weren?t nearly as confident as Cayt?s. The odd puddle and slick of mud was enough to make her cautious. The last thing she wanted was a sprain, or even worse, to ruin her new tunic before everyone else had a chance to appreciate it.
They met up with the Pack just past the tree line where the path widened to a small, sparse clearing before narrowing again as it wound through the trees. Ten dark bodies milled about within it waiting, by all accounts, for them. A few of the wolves wrestled on the ground, mud and pine needles clinging to their coats. Others were pressed around one large dark wolf with silver showing in its coat. The wolves had turned their noses against their Alpha?s side, licking and pawing at the animal?s legs and fur. They stood with their legs gently bent, their ears down and back, and with their tails tucked between their legs submissively. What wolves were not engaged in this activity flexed their own muscle in shows of dominance and submission among the lesser members of their own social stratum.
The sable-and-silver colored Alpha bitch stood patiently through this attention with her tail erect, and her bright gaze steady. That was until Cayt and Amthy arrived. Then she broke away from the other wolves. Her Pack stayed behind her with bodies lowered, and head averted respectfully. Aurora touched her nose against Cayt?s; her ears swiveling forward as she affectionately captured her mother?s muzzle in her mouth. Once released, the white wolf bowed in respect, but not in submission. With low yips and pants, the white wolf licked at her daughter?s mouth and nose.
?Aren?t you looking lovely this evening?? Amthy crooned affectionately to Aurora as she crouched down beside mother and daughter. Her bow set to one side; she wriggled her fingers into her niece?s fur. Aurora twisted her head to lick at Amthy?s arm. With the greetings complete, the rest of the pack came forward to greet the last of their hunting party. Dark bodies wriggled around Cayt and Amthy both, pushing up against them in full body rubs.
By ones and twos, the wolves left the clearing. Their slinking bodies disappearing into the underbrush of the wood. It was quiet. No one but Amthy seemed to make any sound. Besides Cayt, two other wolves stayed with Amthy, the rest ranged outward to find their prey. The wolves moved with their muscles bound, as if ready to pounce at any moment, and their tails straight out from their bodies. Bright eyes were round and observant, as they kept track of the area around them. Their ears swiveled to catch every creak and crackle as they crept along.
Amthy fiddled with her bow. In truth, it was more to complete her outfit than anything else. That and Cayt and her both agreed it would be needed to convince the others of her active participation in the hunt. Now that they were there, and actually doing it, Amthy felt her nervousness start to reappear. Cayt soothed her to the best of her ability, and as much as she could and still keep track of her surroundings. And then she heard it, the first of the high pitched yips. They adjusted their path accordingly, but the wood had fallen silent once more.
No matter what she had envisioned, the hunt was a slow going event. Occasionally, she took note of a muzzle touched to the ground, or lifted up ward in a sniff. For the most part, the inner machinations of the hunt were lost on her. Then the sounds started to come in earnest. The yips and barks followed one after another in chorus, and she could feel the exhilaration course through Cayt.
It was a heady thing! Far too often, she was the one giving the stimulation; it was a rare occasion when it was Cayt?s emotions that sent her heart to pitter-patter. The wolves? heads turned, and the two that ?escorted? them took off in a dash in the direction of the sound. Amthy could feel Cayt?s reluctance to leave her side war with the growing desire to follow suit. Until, at last, she couldn?t hold herself back any longer. With a lunge, the white wolf streaked through the brush and leapt over gnarled, exposed roots. Amthy was left with no alternative but to give chase.
By the time she caught up to Cayt, the Pack was closing in on its prey. She could see the animal illuminated by the moon light, the sounds of its distress mingled with the growls and barks of the Pack. Wolves darted in at the sides, bleeding and herding the stag as it started to flounder. Only one wolf was recognizable to her by then, and that was Cayt with her brilliant white coat. The elderly, infirm stag faltered and the Pack was quick to exploit his error. A wolf caught the stag at the nose, and another latched onto the animal?s rump. Once the creature was on the ground, other wolves went for the stag?s exposed underbelly.
Amthy stopped completely. Riveted to the scene, she couldn?t bring herself to look away, or to cover her ears against the tortured sounds the animal made in its death throws. It was a hard thing to separate her emotions from Cayt?s when the wolves took down their prey. Her sister was likewise drawn into the primal nature of the act, and left that link between them unchecked.
When the stag was dead, Aurora began to nip and growl at her subordinates. The few brave that did try to feast before her were rewarded with her ire. Her ears went flat to her head, and her lips peeled vertically back from her bloody teeth. Aurora?s tail was up, and her hackles rose in agitation. One of the wolves that had tempted fate, showed the whites of his eyes as he cowered away from her with one paw raised. His tail tucked between his hind legs as he flicked out his tongue in appeasement gestures. Bracing her legs, Aurora snapped and snarled at the offending wolf until he rolled over and showed his belly to her in submission. Standing over him, Aurora shook out her coat before looking first to Cayt. They both then looked to Amthy who had maintained a position at the fringe of the Pack.
Through their link, Cayt indicated that she should come closer to the kill. Mental images of Amthy and Cayt?s faces pressed up against the bloody (and in Amthy?s opinion, stinking) carcass. Aurora turned her attention away from her mother and aunt, and started to dine on the stag?s entrails. The rest of the Pack hung back, whimpering, and unable to take their part in the feast until Cayt and Amthy had first.
Swallowing the bile that stung the back of her throat, Amthy wound a path through the Pack. Setting aside her bow, she crouched down beside Cayt near to the stag?s rump. She looked at Cayt as if for instruction. The white wolf?s teeth sank through hide and muscle to tear away a mouthful of meat. Closing her eyes, Amthy braced her hands to the ground, and lowered her face to the gaping hole Cayt had created. She tried not to breathe.
With Cayt?s coaching on what was expected, she rubbed her face into the hot, bloody muscle. Appearances were, in fact, everything. After she had done so, she could feel the other wolves press in against the carcass. The only thing she had to do was not get sick. Gingerly, she backed away from the stag, and wiped the blood from her face with the hem of her tunic. And then she watched as the wolves snapped and whined, ripping the stag?s body to pieces until they?d had their fill.
