Rouke’s Story - Chapter 4: The Rising Enemy

(Read the prologue and chapters 1, 2 & 3 first)

It was the middle of the night, but Lok couldn’t sleep. He had always admired the stars, so he went out to a clear open area to gaze up at them.

Jaz and Rouke were asleep in the cave, but Lok couldn’t help getting the feeling of being watched. He growled and spun around once, seeing a shadow flit through the trees.

He guessed it was an Argy. “I don’t got any prey, you nasty bird,” he snarled, but before he knew what was happening, the Argy swooped in behind him and grab him tightly with its claws.

Lok struggled, bit and howled, waking up Rouke and Jaz, but they weren’t fast enough, and they rushed out of the cave just in time to see the Argy lift off the ground and fly out of jumping range with Lok in its talons.

“Lok! No! Lok!” Jaz whimpered, running to the spot where the Argy had lifted off from.

“We can still chase it, Alpha,” Jaz whimpered, pawing at the ground.

Rouke’s head buzzed with decisions.

“Lok’s smart,” he growled. “That Argy doesn’t know who its dealing with, and I’m sure Lok will escape whatever high nest its taking him to.”

“But, Alpha-“ Jaz started, then backed up when Rouke snarled.

“I know, if its the trapper, it could be harder to escape, but going after him will only worsen the problem, now at least. We waited to long to make a decision.” Rouke snarled.

Jaz looked back at the cave. “Is it still safe here?”

Rouke shook his head. “Hark had some nerve keeping his pack where they were, but it’s not safe for the two of us here now, now that it saw us, and the cave entrance.”

Jaz nodded, his cheerful puppy-like attitude gone.

“Nosa, and now Lok,” Jaz whimpered.

“Stop that, your not a scared pup. We need to be tough now that it’s just two of us. We’ll go to our spare cave for now, until its safe again.”

Jaz raced back in the cave and grabbed the only item he had ever owned, a stick he and his sister would play with when they were pups, back in his old birth pack.

It was broken in half. Nosa had kept the other half to remember him.

“I don’t know why you have to carry that,” Rouke sighed, “But let’s go, before that scavenger bird comes back.”