Rouke’s Story - Chapter 4: In the Claws of An Argy

(Read prologue and chapters 1, 2, 3, & 4 first)

“It’s no wonder we used this as the spare den,” Jaz huffed, looking around the cramped cave.

“Be glad we have anything,” Rouke growled. “That stupid wolf trapper is more trouble than we thought.”

“And now its got Lok too,” Jaz whined, pawing at the stone floor of the cave.

“No time to sit around and complain,” Rouke sighed, “We need prey still.”

Jaz was up on his paws in a second. “A Whooly rhino, or maybe a anklo?”

“No,” Rouke said, “Have you forgotten we’re a pack member short? The best we can catch is a megalosaurus right now, if even that.”

Jaz frowned. “Am I the beta now at least?” He asked.

“No!” Rouke snapped. “Your still gamma, so don’t forget your place. Lok might not be gone yet.”

“But you said Nos-“ Jaz started, but cut off when Rouke growled at him.

“Just follow me now, gamma,” Rouke snarled, “We need food now.”

The fierce winds whipped as the two of them walked out of the cave. Rouke glanced nervously at the dead trees, never trusting them to be strong enough to withstand the harsh winds of winter.

“Alpha, I think I see a meg-“ Jaz started to say, but a dead tree trunk was torn out of the ground just that moment and hurtled towards them.

Rouke jumped on Jaz, pushing him out of the way. Everything went so fast, and the next second, he felt a terrible pain on his back leg, and tried to move it, but the tree trunk was now stuck on his leg pinning him down.

“Help me up!” Rouke howled, “Jaz, where are you?”

Rouke heard the screech of an Argy and whipped his head around, trying to spot it.

“I’m not dead yet!” Rouke snarled. “Try your best bird!”

An Argy swooped over head, the now recognizable figure of a human on top of its back.

“Dive Maal!” The human commanded the bird who swooped down towards Rouke.

Jaz jumped over the log from behind, ramming the Argy right in its head.

The Argy, confused, swerved and ran right into the dead tree, pushing it off Rouke’s leg.

“Let’s go Alpha,” Jaz said, trying to help Rouke up.

“Go, go, I got this.” Rouke growled, shoving Jaz away.

The human had rolled off the bird when it crashed and had now climbed on top of a rock. It was holding something that looks like a curved stick with a pointy stick attached to it.

The human pulled back on a string and then let go, and the pointy stick came sailing towards Rouke.

“No!” Jaz howled, jumping into front of the stick, then limply rolling until he came to a stop by the big log.

Rouke growled, ready to fight, but a second Argy swooped up behind him and grabbed him tight, it’s talons digging firmly into his skin.

Rouke looked down to see the first Argy, with the human now on its back again, pick up Jaz, who was now hanging limply from its talons, almost lifeless… or maybe he was now lifeless, and the human had killed him with the pointy weapon.

The was all Rouke needed to power him to start fighting again. He bit and scratched at the Argy, letting out howl after howl, but it was useless and he was carried helplessly farther and farther from his cave and his territory.