Is it the end?

The sun was starting to dip down and shadows were just starting to lengthen across the land.  Rudy had been patrolling but it was about time to switch from patrolling to hunting.  The world in shades of greys worked so well for him on remaining unseen to his prey.  The scent of rain was heavy in the air and clouds farther off seemed to be heading their way.  He’d find whatever was available and let that be it tonight.  A rushed meal and run home.  Rudy could have skipped it but a day not hunting was a day not improving his skills.  Still, tonight's game would be relatively easy.  

Rudy had stopped the patrol near the section of the plains next to the wildberry grove and could scent that one of them had foolishly left the safer dense woods to where the tree line was thinner as it flowed out into the plains.  Making his way forward to the edges he spotted the little dik-dik and slowly made his way towards it, fully focused on his future meal.  Rudy got in position and ran towards the dik-dik but it was only a few strides later he halted as a new scent registered.  Bear!  Rudy forgot his prey as the scent registered and a moment later a giant monster of a bear came into sight charging at him.

The bear had numerous faded scars on his muzzle and patches of fur missing on his body that spoke of more scars within.  The grey to his face suggested those scars had given him a long life of experience.  Well, that experienced bear didn’t want Rudy into what it had decided was its current turf.  They were on the line between pack land and grove and Rudy had no plans to let it come closer.
He snarled at the bear and ran towards it hoping to give it pause.  This beat didn’t doubt itself nor think much of one wolf running at him.  It roared showing off its fangs and swung a muscular paw at the wolf.  Rudy jumped to one side, howled for assistance, then lunged in to aim a bite towards its back leg.

A game of in-and-out ensued.  Rudy darted in, the bear swiped or lunged and Rudy darted out.  Rudy finally got a bite in on a back leg at one point but as he dashed away felt the bear's claws graze against his upper hind leg.  They weren’t too deep from what he could tell and were thus ignored.  Chasing this bear off by himself wasn’t working and taking the monster down alone seemed to be impossible.  All he had to do was keep it from getting in too close while waiting for someone to team up on it with.

Minutes seemed hours as the two danced and Rudy felt himself slowing down.  Had he bled more than he thought?  The bear charged in the last time and Rudy aimed to get another bite in but this times things didn’t go so well.  His teeth sank into flesh but as he turned to flee the injured leg refused to let him spin as fast.  Rudy glanced back as the bear paw came out.  How many times had Rudy successfully managed to dodge those paw slaps by a fur’s edge?  Always slightly fast enough and now he knew how important that hair was.  The massive paw stopped all thought and the young wolf didn’t even feel it as the other side of his head slammed into a tree that had been directly behind him.  

As if the brain had to catch up to what had happened Rudy dumbly looked at the bear before crashing to the ground.  Blood dribbled out from the injury to the back leg as well as the blood that was staining and sliding out around his head.  Awareness was gone, Rudy was out cold and the bear was ready to finish off the wolf that had dared to bite him.

Rudyard Carpathius