Jala and the Wolves by Marti Dumas

Author:Marti Dumas
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: fantasy, children's, chapter book, girl, female lead, strong girl, juvenile fantasy, wolf, wolves, middle grade, fairy tale, classic
Publisher: Marti Dumas
Published: 2015-02-13T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 5

The Hunt

Deer. A deer!

A hunger coursed through Jala’s veins like she had never known before. She had no time to think. Her body took over. The forest was a blur of green and brown and early morning light. Her legs automatically began to slow as the scent got stronger. The scent of the deer had grown so strong and luscious that she thought her hunger might make her burst.

She consciously slowed her steps even more and began to focus on moving as silently as possible. The deer was close enough to see, now. It was a yearling buck carelessly far from his family. If he saw them, or heard them, or smelled them he would bolt. And from this distance they might not be able to catch him.

Milo drew up alongside Jala. They exchanged a quick look and Jala knew he knew exactly what she was thinking. She turned to head northwest to approach the buck from the north while Milo was to continue on their mostly eastward course. He would remain hidden while she chased the deer toward him. With any luck the deer would be so flustered that he would run right into their trap.

The plan worked. The young buck was confused and frightened and ran exactly the way a lamb would when being herded by a sheep dog. Milo ran toward them at just the right moment and the split second it took the deer to realize that his pursuer was not hunting alone was just enough time for Jala and Milo to simultaneously change course, effectively encircling the deer.

Milo was the one who went for the kill. Jala was glad that he had. The chase was the most thrilling thing she had ever experienced, but the human in her would have hesitated to kill the beast. Jala, for whom meat came from a grocery store, might have thought about what to do next, and her hesitation might have been just enough time for the deer to escape. Milo spared her all that by lunging forward and biting the beast around its throat. The deer kicked and thrashed for a long while before finally lying still.

Her immense hunger soon overcame any guilt Jala may have felt about the deer. Jala and Milo gorged themselves, and for the first time in her life Jala felt truly full. She and Milo lay side by side near what remained of the carcass, licking blood from their muzzles and feeling generally satisfied.

It was Milo who had the idea to bring the remnants of the deer back to the rest of the pack. Jala agreed, so they dragged the deer carcass for several hours until the smell of home and safety surrounded them. It was the smell of the wolf pack. Her pack.

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