by LJ Davies
Boltock was already prancing off into the shadows among the trunks, perusing the forest like it was lined with gold and gems.
"Are you coming?" he called, glancing back over his shoulder.
It was only then I realised that this was probably his first hunt. I had a professional routine, whereas he probably just wanted to impress a certain fiery dragoness.
Great spirits, I'm starting to react to his antics just like everyone else does. I rolled my eyes at the thought.
Even though he seemed capable of defending himself, I was committed in my duty to keep him safe and ran to catch up. The further we trekked, the more the earth's defeat became apparent; the rain had certainly triumphed. Trudging through the mass of roots, mud, moss and pines we made it a good way from the cave. My caution magnified further when a strange mist began to gather between the trees.
"What are we looking for... I–I mean ‘hunting’?" Boltock asked, hopping up onto a log and scouring the foggy gloom.
I lifted my snout to the air, sniffing for the scent of suitable prey. I knew the smell of almost every forest animal, and it wasn't long before a distinctive odour caught my attention.
"This way," I whispered, creeping through dense undergrowth to my left.
A pattern of careful stalking and occasional sniffing became my operating mode, guiding us stealthily and quietly through the forest. Boltock attempted to copy me, making an awful lot of noise in doing so. It was frustrating, to say the least. Years of Tarwin's strict methods had drilled the experience into my brain and right now we may as well have held up a big banner saying.
'We're here, run away!'
I had to remind myself several times that this was my idea, though I couldn't help wondering how much better it would be with Risha at my side instead.
I’m going to have to think on my paws for this one. I thought, signalling for Boltock to calm his movements.
Remembering some of the things Tarwin had once told me, I resorted to considering the situation as a personal challenge. If I could make a kill with Boltock alerting the prey, that would be impressive.
If only she were here to see me succeed.
I refocused, clearing my mind. The others are hungry, I have to get them some food.
Pinpointing the source of the smell, I signalled for Boltock to be quiet and get down with a wave of my wing. The prey was somewhere ahead and peering through the mist, I could see a fallen log bridging a gap between two tree trunks. I carefully crept towards it, Boltock following close behind while still trying his best to imitate my stealthy movements.
Taking refuge, I peered over the log to evaluate the situation and the area ahead. In the brief glimpse I had, I could see there was a grassy clearing in the trees where dreary sunlight shone down upon a small stream draped in mist. There my eyes locked on to our target – drinking nervously. It was a deer, its light-brown coat soaked from the rain, thick mud coating its hooves.
The elegant beast nervously dipped down to the water and took a cautious sip before rising again to peer around. Even though it was alert, I was sure it hadn't noticed us. It was a perfect situation, but there was one factor I needed to consider. Ducking behind the log, I turned to Boltock and whispered.
"We're going after that deer." I indicated its location with a nod. "You move round and cut off its escape," I instructed, pointing to the forest beyond with a wing.
I wasn't sure if he understood, though he seemed to listen intently while nodding at my every word.
"Have you got that?" I asked finally.
"Yes, I'll be fine, how hard can one deer be?" he whispered.
I had to hold back a sigh. Oh, he'll soon find out how hard it can be.
Boltock scuttled off to where I'd directed as quietly as he could. Meanwhile, I crept slowly over the log, body held low, wings tucked against my side and paws softly touching the damp earth. The prey fidgeted but didn't make any movement to indicate it was aware of my presence; it was still focused on drinking.
I analysed every movement: the tiny drops of water dripping from its damp coat, each inhaled and exhaled breath, every twitch of its restless muscles. My hearing pinpointed its steady heartbeat, thumping almost in rhythm with my own. I was only a few strides away when I stopped and coiled my hind legs, claws and teeth primed. I glanced over to see if Boltock was ready, but there was no sign of him.
It's now or never, Blaze. With or without him you got this. Part of me felt guilty, however the need for food was more important.
Releasing the coiled power from my legs I launched myself towards the unsuspecting target, colliding with its back and sinking my claws into its hide in a shower of water droplets. The shocked animal bolted, violently thrashing around and splashing through the stream in its frantic attempt to escape. I held on and sunk my teeth deep into its flesh, the metallic taste of blood flooding my mouth.
Flung into a wild panic, the deer bucked and kicked, trying to dislodge me. After a few minutes, it showed no sign of weakening; perhaps I'd underestimated its strength. Maybe the wildlife here was stronger than that I'd hunted before.
I bit down harder, my teeth and claws reaching their limit, and with all of my strength I tried to force the deer towards where I'd directed Boltock, in the hope that he'd be waiting. It did just that, dashing into the trees and taking me with it.
As I struggled to cling on, I considered about my options. The best was that I'd have to let it go and find it later, when it had bled out. With reason taking over, I started to loosen my grip, struggling to balance as I positioned myself to jump.
My focus was shattered when, from nowhere, the ground directly in front of the deer erupted in a shower of dirt and foliage. Taken completely by surprise, it had no hope of avoiding the displaced earth, inevitably crashing into the elevated rock with a bone-shattering crack. Having loosened my grip, I was launched through the air and over the raised rock, eventually crashing to the floor in a heap.
A coat of mud and pine needles covered my scales, but thankfully a soft blanket of wet moss absorbed most of the impact. I raised my head, but the forest was just a blur. I closed my eyes in an attempt to clear the disorientation, and pressed all four quivering paws against the floor, pausing before tentatively lifting myself up. I checked myself for injury, shaking each of my legs and wings in turn to test for pain, thankfully, apart from a few dull aches, I felt fine. Slowing my breathing from a shocked pant to a steady rhythm, I looked back, desperately trying to refocus my eyes.
A large slab stood proud of the damp earth. At first glance, the dark-grey stone appeared out of place amidst the greens and browns of the forest, suggesting that somehow it had been thrust up from beneath the ground. I crept towards it, on the opposite side of which I found the body of the deer lying in a crumpled heap on the floor.
What? One minute I'm ready to jump off, the next I'm catapulted through the air.
The thought reminded me that I'd lowered my guard, leaving me unaware of my surroundings beyond the prey. My senses resumed their watch, scanning the forest. Thankfully there was nothing to suggest any danger – no smells, no sounds and nothing to see. Until I heard a rustling in the undergrowth behind me.
"What did you think of that?" Boltock declared, standing proud upon a mossy boulder to my right.
"Boltock!"
It took me a moment to realise that he'd been responsible for the rock. Only then did I remember he was an earth dragon.
He must have used his power to raise the ground and take the deer by surprise.
Not the smartest idea, I had to admit, especially with me on its back and it certainly wasn’t something I'd considered when I'd told him to block off its escape.
I mean look, half the meat is just mush now!
The poor thing certainly didn't see it coming, and its escape route was definitely ‘blocked’.
Can I really expect dragons to hunt like humans, or even need to hunt at all when they have elemental powers at their disposal?
Aft
er waiting to find them all my life, I was going to have to adjust to another way of thinking. The influence of humans had obviously affected my views, and this alternative world was truly putting them to the test.
Reining in my thoughts I watched Boltock hop down and move toward the deer, beaming in accomplishment.
"Not bad for the first time," I reluctantly admitted. "Definitely inventive."
"Really?" he responded, his eyes lighting up like stars, before he scuffed a forepaw on his chest.
"Ha, and I did it all without getting my claws dirty! Though I don't think the same can be said for you."
A sigh left my muzzle as he pointed a wing to the dirt and blood stains coating my scales. "Not that I'm scared of getting dirty! I mean you look super ferocious like that!"
"I'll go clean it off," I replied, thinking back to the stream in the clearing.
Retracing my route, I made my way back to the opening and stepped out from the confines of the trees. I could just make out the sky through the thinner branches, where scattered beams of sunlight poked through. Turning my attention back to the stream, I couldn't help feeling that I was in the same vulnerable position as the deer.
No, there's nothing out there. Just relax, get cleaned up and get back to the others.
I lowered my head to the rushing water, dipping my paws in and resisting the frozen pulse it sent up my legs. Hesitating for a moment I did the same with my snout, holding it there for as long as I could tolerate. The water was quick to wash the grime from my scales, and pulling back, the numbing cold lingered for a few moments before, shaking like a wet hound, I backed away from the water’s edge.
Urgh, if only Tarwin could see me now. She'd have something witty to say for sure.
As the thought crossed my mind, I caught a glimpse of something, a faint sparkling where the stream emerged from the trees. Curiosity got the better of me, and upon closer inspection I realized some of the water had frozen, perfectly preserving the rushing pattern of the stream. Studying the intricate arrangement made me realise I had an unavoidable problem: the start of winter. We'd soon be faced with more than monstrous beasts; the weather would quickly become more hostile.
Is the whole world against me?
Winter was something that I'd foolishly allowed to slip my mind. Tarwin certainly wouldn’t be impressed by that.
I'm working on a time limit here. If it gets too cold we'll be stuck, especially this far north.
I promptly turned and headed back into the trees. Another light breeze moved through the otherwise still forest, creating a faint rustle as it kicked up wispy swirls in the mist. I glanced up to the treetops, spying a few crows scattering in the canopy.
Within seconds I was back by the carcass, but there was no sign of Boltock. Moreover, there was another significant difference, and the sight sent a shiver down my spine. The deer's hind leg was missing. Panic overwhelmed me, especially when I concluded that something must have sensed our kill. I looked for anything, friend or foe as my heart began racing.
An unfamiliar sound caught my attention and I turned, only to be surprised by Boltock walking casually from the tree line, digging into a piece of charred venison.
"Sorry, I was too hungry to wait," he murmured as he swallowed a mouthful.
I might have given him a piece of my mind if I hadn't been so relieved to see him.
"How are we going to get this back?" he asked, peering over our prize.
"We'll have to drag it," I admitted, recovering from my panic and moving to grab one of the deer's hind legs in my mouth.
"Oh, just like they used to haul seals back home! Yes!" he responded, hastily grabbing the opposite leg.
I agreed with a nod, not even considering the mention of his past.
Just pretend like I don't know. It was his family too, but that's between me and Risha, just like Tarwin's identity.
Pulling as hard as we could we slowly dragged the carcass through the trees, navigating fallen logs and boulders. Hauling a kill like this wasn't something I'd done before, normally I'd have had human help. For that reason, I was glad to have Boltock, as he was surprisingly strong for his size.
Must be an earth dragon thing? He is rather stocky.
He may not have been very subtle in his methods, but the kill was technically his, and I had to give him credit for that. I was also sure he had no other reason than his belly and his desire to show off to Ember for doing so.
So much for the proud, professional hunter I think I am. I thought with a sigh.
"Urgh, this thing is heavier than it looks. Five-minute break?" Boltock suggested, stopping to rest against a tree.
"We don't know what animals could have smelt this by now, we shouldn't stay here too long," I responded, expecting every shadow to leap out at me as I glanced around.
The two of us stood in an open area, where the tree line was broken by the absence of one of their brethren. Damp moss covered the remains of the fallen giant, and decay had already started its relentless consumption of the mangled branches.
There was no change in sound or smell and a light, watery drizzle had started to slowly drift through the trees. Combined with the morning mist, the gloom concealed most of my view.
"Guess we'll have to smell our way back," Boltock announced, waving a foreclaw through the thick fog as if to waft it away.
Hopping onto the rotting log he reached as high as he could manage before raising his snout to sniff the air. I was confident he’d be able to smell his way back; after all, he'd had no trouble finding us the previous night. It wasn’t long before he smelt something, but he simply lowered his head and grumbled to himself.
"What's wrong?" I asked, immediately joining him on the log and scanning the forest.
"Do you smell that?" he asked curiously, gazing off into the gloom.
I lifted my nostrils high, taking a deep breath. Amidst the forest's damp odour was another smell, the closest thing I could compare it to was a dog or a wolf. Wet fur often created a distinctive scent, albeit this was much stronger. I took in another breath, confirming my fear that whatever it was, it was heading straight towards us.
There's no way that's any normal forest creature! The strength of the smell suggested that it was larger, possibly even bigger than a bear.
"Hide!" I commanded, darting down from the log and creeping to the cover of the trees.
"What, and give up our food to some animal?" Boltock questioned, glancing between me and the eerie mist.
"Until we know what it is, yes!" I replied, looking around for some refuge.
"Fine," he sighed, with a shrug, casually hopping down from the log and making his way over to me.
A small, mossy rock sitting between two trees at the edge of the clearing was the best cover I could identify.
"Over there!" I whispered hoarsely, pointing out the rock, Boltock nodding before we scurried over and took shelter behind it.
Moments passed; the air so tense it was as if I could slice it with my claws. Eventually I peered over our cover, being careful not to expose too much of my body.
An indistinct shape emerged from the fog, its eyes glistening like sinister lures in the gloom. The creature stood on four huge legs, and the first obvious thing was its size – it was at least twice my height. Slowly emerging from the cover of the fog, its form became clearer as the misty shroud released its grip. It resembled a great wolf with long, mangy, soaking-wet fur.
The fur running along its back was much longer than that covering the rest of its body, forming a thick, black mane. The beast approached the carcass, stopping above our kill, its eyes scanning the tree line across the clearing. On its flank were what looked like claw marks, leaving three scarred, bald patches. Yet despite its obvious injuries it showed no sign of pain or disability.
As it turned, I caught a glimpse of its muscular neck, thick as a tree trunk to support its thick-set head. Its skull was topped by two small ears and tipped by a square snout complete with black nose. However, th
e most frightful part was its huge jaw, fully equipped with a terrifying set of teeth. Two formidable, saliva-dripping canines protruded from its upper lip as it released a bellowing breath. Lowering to sniff at the corpse before closing its maw around the fallen deer.
Whilst it was preoccupied with our kill, I noticed something else. At first, I thought it was my imagination, but upon closer inspection there appeared to be a metal band engraved with faint blue runes hidden beneath the thick fur around its neck. It certainly wasn’t something I'd expect to see on a wild animal, but before I could observe any longer, it seized the deer in its jaw, effortlessly holding the whole thing clear off the ground.
The limp body dangled from the immense mouth as it turned, looking directly at the rock we were hiding behind. In a flash of panic, I ducked down and begged all the spirits it hadn't seen me. I imagined its watchful eyes boring into the stone, chipping away at our cover. Boltock glanced at me, gesturing over the rock with a nod. I shook my head.
No way is either of us going to take that thing on! Crazy earth powers or not!
Moments dragged by until I finally pulled myself together and summoned up the courage to take another peek. My eyes just about cleared the mossy surface when my head shot back down.
It's still there!
I sank low, still unsure of whether it had seen me or not. I went over the image in my mind, analysing the scant information. From what I could recall, it was looking away.
Recovering some of my fragile courage, I raised my head once more. It bolted the moment I did, lumbering back into the haze from which it came. Its sudden retreat startled me at first, at least until my head slumped on the stone as a wave of relief passed over me.
"By the fires, that's not something I've seen before?" Boltock whispered, peeking over the rock. "Maybe it was a really small troll, or some kind of lycan?"
He studied a forepaw, seeming to count the possibilities. "Urgh, no, we're too far north for that." He cocked his head as he glanced at me. "You got any ideas?"
"I don't know," I replied bluntly.
I sniffed the air once more, the beast’s scent had vanished, along with that of our prey. Relief quickly turned to worry, however.