Chapter Four

Armand and his friends discover something in the forest that doesn't seem all that nice.

     We started out walking through the forest, sniffing the air, pushing at each other in fun with a lot of laughing and talking, just enjoying being out in the forest together.

    We weren't too concerned if every deer and elk in the forest heard us coming from miles away.

     “So.” said Quetzal after we'd been just having silly fun for awhile. “Shall we start getting serious?”

      I looked at him. His intense grey eyes shone in the shadows of the dark forest. “I'm into this.”

     Quetzal looked to Mr. Thunder. “How about you? Still on for the hunt?”

     “I am.” Mr. Thunder answered. His yellowish brown eyes flashed to me, then to Miss Feather.

     We were all looking at her then, wondering if she would really go on the hunt with us.

     Miss Feather's black eyes flashed with her annoyance. “I can tell you all expect me to back out.” Her voice was thick with her irritation at us.

     “Well?” I asked.

     “Well?” asked Quetzal and Mr. Thunder.

     Miss Feather stopped walking and turned to face us with her hands on her hips. “Why would I agree to go on the hunt, stick around with you stupid males then say I'm not going?”

     I thought Miss Feather looked beautiful and magnificent in her anger. I was really taken by her ravishing appearance. Then I gave myself a mental slap to the side of my head.

     Wake up! I thought to myself. Pay attention!

     “You were concerned about our lack of training.” Quetzal said to her.

     Miss Feather made an irritated sound.

     “Okay. Okay. That's enough. She's going.” I said coming to her rescue.

     The look she sent my way said she didn't much appreciate my coming to her rescue.

     “I can speak for myself Armand. And yes, I'm on with the hunt.” After saying that she turned and stalked off into the forest.

     I looked at Quetzal, then Mr. Thunder. They were looking at me. We all smiled, shrugged our shoulders then hurried after Miss Feather.

     We were quiet now, moving through the forest like hunters. The sound of owls calling out into the night haunted the forest. Coyotes sang in the distance. Out so far into the forest there were no other Wolf People around.

     We were quite a ways from our Village but not near another Wolf People village either.

     I tested the air. The faint scent of elk. I glanced to my left where Quetzal walked beside me.

     He glanced at me. “Elk. In the distance.” He said softly.

     I nodded.

     Mr. Thunder and Miss Feather were a few steps ahead of us.

     “We are not hunting elk. They are too big for us.” Miss Feather said with a slight toss of her hair.

     “We know Miss Feather.” I said to her.

     “Do you Armand?” She said back.

     “I do. I do. I do.” I responded with a smile.

     “Are you two flirting?” Quetzal asked with a knowing grin.

     I wanted to slap that grin off his face, or better yet punch it off. Instead I said, “Shut up Quetzal.”

     “Yeah, Quetzal, shut up.” Miss Feather said turning just enough while she kept walking to look meanly at him.

     “Hey.” Quetzal said putting his hands up as if in surrender.

     “Can we just concentrate on the hunt?” Mr. Thunder asked.

     “Good idea.” I replied.

     We kept walking and testing the air for scent of deer. All we found was the scent of elk and it was growing stronger as we kept walking.

     Obviously we were moving toward a herd of elk.

     “I don't know.” I said after a while. “There are no deer around here. Odd.”

     “It is odd.” agreed Quetzal.

     “Yeah.” Mr. Thunder said. “Since when is there a part of the forest that has no deer?”

     Miss Feather looked at all of us in turn. She had a concerned look in her black eyes. “Perhaps we should just turn around and head back.”

     There was something uncomfortable about this part of the forest we currently were in. It looked the same as any other part of the forest. Towering Douglas Fir trees and huge Broadleaf Maple trees that dominated the landscape. There were Pine trees and lots of smaller trees and shrubs, large ferns everywhere and small flowers and leaf plants that covered the forest floor.

     There were owls in the trees but the coyotes were absent from the area, we only heard them now from a far distance. Animals that liked the dark, which were most, were out and about. The raccoons, mice, rats, porcupines and such.

     But no deer, just elk.

     “Hmm. I think Miss Feather is right. We should head back.” I said.

     “What about the hunt?” Quetzal asked.

     I noticed Mr. Thunder didn't look like he really wanted to hunt anymore.

“No deer here so what does it matter?” I said. “We'll find plenty of them closer to our Village. Don't you both feel something is not right about this part of the forest?”

     Quetzal glanced at Mr. Thunder. Then he let out a rush of air. “I do feel it. Something not right.”

     “I feel it too.” admitted Mr. Thunder. “Miss Feather is right. Let's just get out of here.”

     “Good. We're all agreed.” I said.

     “Let's go then.” Miss Feather led the way in the direction we had come. I noticed she was walking fast.

     There is something not right about this part of the forest. Wonder what it is. I thought but I also thought I wasn't too eager to know what it was.

     We hurried along only to keep up with Miss Feather who was very eager to be out of this area.

     “Wonder what's going on in this part of the forest.” Quetzal said.

     “Do you really want to know?” I asked him.

     He glanced at me, a smile forming on his face. “Yes I do. We should explore it.”

     “NO!” said Miss Feather. “Don't be a fool!”

     “You go back to the Village Miss Feather, leave us males free to explore.” said Quetzal.

     “I'll pass.” said Mr. Thunder. “I'm going with Miss Feather.”

     Just at that moment something ahead of us and off to the side caught my attention. “Hey!” I said. “Look at that!”

Reviews

[Theresa]

Wonder what they stumbled upon. I liked the world you created with all the nocturnal animals out and about. I was so embarrassed for Armand and Miss Feather when Quetzal called them out on flirting. Really enjoying your story.

Hmm... I Wonder what they found. Something that probably scares deer off in the human dimension as well.

[Star Wolf]

Now it's going to really get interesting. What has Armand and his friends come upon? Can't be anything good with the odd atmosphere in the forest where they are and no deer or coyotes around.