72. Kaya
Kaya
"Kaya, come on, keep up," Saka said over the link. I was running with them in formation. Len had talked Robert through a basic formation before we left. Robert was always with me if Cade was not, and that included hunting. He was learning what we did. Though this was the first time he was actually being a part of the hunt. I ran faster, trying to listen to Saka. "What do you smell?" Len asked. I was to find the prey with my nose.
I had the best sense of smell, and when I was back in the north when I hunted, I was the one who always found the beasts to hunt. Now, it was no different. I sniffed the air. I mind linking them all. "Two miles about, there is an elk." It smelt stronger than usual. "I am guessing it is a herd the smell is strong." Kimi asked, "Do we want a male or female." We agreed on a female elk. No rack to contend with. It would be an excellent animal to teach Robert on.
When we got closer, steps had to become light. Robert mind linked me. "How are we going to get the thing once we kill it. No one brought anything to use to butcher the animal?" "We are eating raw today. The kill is just for us." "Raw?" I internally smiled. "Robert, trust me, you will like it." I mind-linked him. The snow was coming down heavily, and we, with white coats, blended in perfectly with our surroundings.
We crept up on the herd. Since Saka, Len, and Kimi couldn't link Robert, it was left to me. "Okay, so Len is going to run into the heart. Then Saka will break up the animals. Kimi is going to pick out the prey. You will watch her; once she isolates one, you stay on it." "Who will kill it?" "We will see once everyone does their job; we all charge the animal. Including you when you lunge, go for the throat on the underside, and only if you get a clean shot at ripping it open. Whoever is close enough when we surround the animal so it cannot escape the one with the best shot takes it." "What is your job?"
"Well, besides locating the animal. I am with you; we stay with the animal until the others arrive to surround it." We watched the animals. They were all just standing there. I watched as Len let out a growl, getting their attention, and he ran into the group of creatures. Saka joined him, making a small group break-off. Kimi followed next, isolating the one we wanted. Then Robert and I took off running, chasing down the animal.
The others joined us. The elk was fast it was made to run from its predators. I watched as Robert looked at the creature. He had a clean shot, but he was not taking it. "Robert, attack it; you have the best position." "Luna, I don't know how to." "Use your hind legs, push off, turn your head and body simultaneously, and aim for the jugular. Then bite down and don't let go. We will help you once you connect." He did as I told him.
The rest of us pounced on the animal and bit in. Me taking a hind leg. The elk toppled over, but Robert kept his Jaw locked. "You killed it, Robert. Let it go." He did as he told. And released it. Saka, Len, and Kimi mind-linked me. "Robert did it." Saka said, "Man, he gets the fucking heart." I internally laughed. Then my wolf looked at Robert. "Now we feast," I told Robert over the link. "You get the heart." "Luna, I don't think I can eat it raw." "You can and you will." Saka and Kimi had already dug in, but Len was circling the animal, and then he, too, joined in the feeding.
My wolf stood there staring at Robert. He hesitated but eventually went to the animal next to Kimi, who had ripped off the fur and was gorging herself. "Robert." I mind-linked him. "Yes." "Come by me." I stood by the chest. He was going to eat the heart. It was his first kill, and it was his right. I moved my snout pointing to where he needed to rip into. "The heart is over here. You rip with your teeth and tear the thing apart. When you get to the heart, you eat it." I then took the spot next to him and tore into the dead animal. Robert followed. I stopped feeding to look at him. He did not waver when he reached the heart; I told my friends over our link.
All of us stopped feeding momentarily to watch. He did as I told him, and I watched him eat the whole thing. When we were all stuffed, we moved back. Len pointed his snout to the air, and I saw as his wolf mouth opened he was hollowing. Kimi and Saka did the same. My white wolf looked at Robert's brown wolf. "You did it; they howl for you; it is pride." Then I pushed my snout into the air, and though I could not hear my own howl, I knew how to do it. I felt the vibrations down in my throat. I mind-linked Robert. "You answer our howl." He followed as we did.
As we began to leave the big dead animal. "Are we wasting the meat?" Robert said. "What, no, I mean, yes, we could have butchered it and used the whole thing, but today was about togetherness. The animal will feed others in the woods. It is good to every now and again just eat and leave it to feed others and nourish the soil." "Do you guys eat and hunt like that in the north a lot?"
"When we do pack runs, we usually hunt and eat like that. But hunting is always in wolf form unless it is fishing or bird shooting with bows. We have someone bring a sled or two to transport the meat to the pack's home base, where we divide. We hunt for the pack, not individually. This hunt was yes to eat but more so to be together and feel close to one another." We reached the tree line and shifted. Putting our clothes back on. Len approached me, and as he spoke to Robert, he signed so I could be involved. "What did you think, Robert?" Robert signed "Wild" I laughed.
Saka signed as he spoke as well. "You better not get used to the heart. I prefer to be the killer, so next time, it will be me who eats the heart."
Robert looked at me. "Saka likes to eat the organs the most. He thinks the heart tastes the best. But whoever kills it gets the heart. He is joking around. He is proud of you." I gave him a smile, and I watched Roberts's mouth move. He was speaking my native language.
"I don't know, Saka. I like the taste; you might have to fight me for it." I watched as Kimi and Len laughed. I had a good time with them. I was glad we had hunted. It always made me happy. Felt like I was close to the goddess, which I needed.
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