Believe - Chapter 17: The hound

Imya woke up, this time without Red having to nudge her. When she stretched, yawned and looked around he was not in sight but after a few minutes he came back into the den. "Oh, ya woke up kiddo, sure ya did, yo!" he was in a good mood and Imya also felt much better than the day before. He legs did only itch a bit and the rest of the day before had her recover most of her energy. "Will we continue to follow the star today or do you have more training for me?" she asked and looked into his red eyes. "We gonna follow da star, sure we do, yo!" he answered. "It is a nice night, sure it is, yo! Da star is shining bright and da weather is clear, sure it is, yo!"

When Imya stepped out of the den she knew what he meant. There was no cloud in the sky. The moon was already sending his light into the forest and the start helped him to illuminate the snow. It looked like the snow was glowing. "Ya glowing just like da snow, sure ya do, yo!" Red remarked and Imya smiled while checking her paws. Her white fur really was glowing in the light. She was sure, if she would just lay down in the snow, there would be no one who could see her. Red began with a light job and Imya followed him. This night it felt much easier for her to follow his quick run and his jumps to the right and the left to evade trees or branches. She only was with him for a few days but it seemed that the hard way he trained her and her own will not to give up had made her stronger. She did not get tired as fast as in the first night that she followed him. It felt rather like she was more awake and alive after her muscles were warm and the blood circulated in her veins. A few nights ago, she had always looked forward to the time Red would stop, in hope she would get a rest. When Red stopped now, to look for the start and change the direction or to take up a scent, she did not lie down but imitated him in trying to pick up a track or just swayed from one pair of paws to the other while waiting until they would continue the journey. Where Imya had been nightdreaming all the time just a week ago, her senses and mind was just focused on the surroundings, the noises, the scents and landmarks and all that she passed. Like a scout she tried to take everything in and memorize it.

They stopped again and Red was investigating something in a bush when Imya picked up a noise that she never heard before. It was a sound that sounded like the call of an animal. Like a very loud and strong wiff, but she had never heard any wolf making such a sound. "Red, what is that?" she asked and Red stopped shuffling in the bush, where he supposedly had found some mice that he tried to catch, to turn to Imya. He wanted to say something but stopped with his muzzle open. "Run!" he just said and already turned around. Imya did not ask but just ran and followed him. The noise got closer and it sounded angry and aggressive. They ran at full speed and Imya had problems to stay on the heels of Red. Now her legs slowly started to burn from the blood pulsing through them and her breaths became fast. But even Red was not able to outrun whatever was coming behind them. A creature, a bit smaller than a wolf but else quite similar, came in sight behind them. Imya only spared it one look. The snout looked much different, more flat, than a wolf and the fur was dark and short. Imya directly noticed that this creature was much faster than she was. She wondered if Red was slowing down or for her or if this creature was even faster than Red.

Red also looked back and then stopped. Imya nearly bumped into him and the slid through the snow for a few meters before they came to a halt. Red positioned himself in from of the pup. "When Imma tell ya, ya gonna run!" he told her. Then the big creature, even though from close up still not as big as her father still massive in front of the pup and the fox, stopped in front of them and showed it's yellow big fangs. "Ya not gonna get us, sure ya don't, yo!" Red shouted at the newcomer. He was breathing just a heavy as Imya but now that this creature stopped she saw that it was just as exhausted and pumped the air in and out. "What is this?" asked Imya with a whisper. "A hound!" was all Red said and then the hound jumped at them and tried to bite Red in the neck. The fox was faster and evaded and then bit the hound into the leg. The dark fighter stumbled and Red turned to Imya for a moment. "Now run!" he said while he now attacked the bigger animal. Imya sprinted towards the bushes and heard the gnarling and growling of the two fighters behind her. She was afraid of the hound but also afraid that Red would get hurt. She turned her head around and now saw that Red had his teeth in one leg of the hound while the hound got one of Red's front legs and held him. Her steps became slower and she finally stopped and watched the fight. They were circling each other, letting loose and then jumping forward again. Red was humping a bit on his leg. Then the hound shot forward again and barely missed the neck of Red who bit into the same leg again. The hound did not manage to bend his head enough to bite Red, who danced now around him to evade while he pushed his fangs so deep into the flesh of the hound that the bigger creature started to howl in pain. But the hound did not let loose or try to flee but got more aggressive the longer Red hung at his leg. Imya noticed that the hound was much bigger and stronger and the legs of Red started to wobble. She was sure that Red could not do this forever.

Imya did not even think twice about it. She just turned around and sprinted towards the fighting pair that did not notice the small white wolf pup that darted down the hill. Imya saw Red losing more and more energy and his grip at the leg weakened already. The hound started to get closer to the back of red with his teeth. Soon the fox would not have any chance to evade the bigger creature anymore. Imya did not want to know what would happen then. She did not stop; she did not break or slow down. She just ran face forward towards the fall of fur that was twisting and rolling over each other. She was just three steps away when she saw the grip of Red coming loose. Exhausted the Fox tried to back up and barely managed to evade a bite of the hound but his injured leg buckled under his weight and he fell to the side, rolling on the back and having his throat completely exposed to the hound. Imya knew from hunting training what would come next. The hound rose high above Red and opened his muzzle wide showing his deadly and frightening teeth with a deep growl in his throat. There was only one step between Imya and the hound. She jumped, she flew and time seemed to stop. She remembered all the things that happened since she met Red. How he fed her and held her warm. His training, that she endured and managed to complete somehow, dead tired and without a bit of energy left. His praises and his stories. And over all his smile and laugh. His soft but also powerful character. His caring but also demanding nature. Without a question, he had become her best friend in this short time. Imya closed her eyes. She did not want to see what happened next ...

Something soft but solid hit the teeth of her open muzzle and she snapped close her yaw. Her teeth dug deep into something that reluctantly gave way and got penetrated by her fangs. She felt fur on her tongue, tasted blood and her body did not stop but continued to fly while she held her eyes shut closed and just pressed her teeth together as strong as possible. A sudden jerk and she barely stopped her head from being ripped around. The muscles in her neck held strong and her body began to spin. Whatever she had between her teeth was trying to resist but her speed and the weight of her light body was enough to pull it with her. She felt that she was flying backwards now and her hind legs prepared for the landing. She felt snow sliding away under her paws and gravity pulling her down. A long and loud painful howl, louder than anything before, shocked her so strong that she popped her eyes open but her yaw did not let loose yet. The head of the hound looked massive from this close. She saw that his head bent strong to the side and his body followed him, tripped out of balance. The resistance in her muzzle went weaker now, that his body came up to the same speed than the pup and she only felt the flesh between her teeth. She had managed to get one of the ears of the hound, just like they trained two days ago. She had not planned it but her body just moved on instinct in the wish to help Red. She saw the fox looking at her in disbelieve and then his yaw moved to shout something when their eyes met but Imya did not understand a word because the howl of the hound was too loud. But the eyes of red looked behind her and just in time she turned her head a bit to see a tree from the corner of her eyes. Her body moved without thinking. She just pushed her paws against the massive head that was hovering in front of her and while she finally opened her yaw and let the ear of the big creature go, she pushed strong to catapult herself a bit to the side. Where she missed the tree, the hound crushed against it and his yowl was mixed from confusion, surprise and fear.

Imya tumbled over a few times and then landed on her belly. She was on her feet instantly with a deep growl in her small throat. She saw the hound trying to stand up but he seemed to have hurt his leg from the hit against the tree. Red also was up on wobbly feet and showed his teeth with winkles on his nose. With his red eyes and the wild expression, he looked dangerous and angry. They did not give the hound time to shake up his confusion. The big creature let out a husky whimper and pressed the tail between his legs before it finally got grip with his paws and stood on his legs. The hound did not wait or try to attack again. He just turned into the direction where he came from, sprinkling blood from the ear onto the white snow, and then he rand as fast as his injured leg allowed him. He did limb a bit but the fear that the sudden attack and the wild Fox in front of him had installed in him made him ignore the pain and a minute later they could only hear him barking far away and out of sighed.

Red was not able to speak but was exhausted and Imya, without even thinking, just took over the lead by instinct and led him uphill, away from the hound and the place they fought. She managed to find a den, by following a very faint track, that had the faint smell of Red in it. With a nod Red confirmed that this was one of his dens and Imya first let him slip in and then followed. There were no questions or explanations. Red directly closed his eyes exhausted and started to sleep and Imya also collapsed next to him and with her breath slowly calm down she also drifted off to sleep.