Hunted By Shadows

Soft blue eyes watch the dark wolf as Fern awaits her answer, stepping forward only when the lady clad in obsidian and marked with gold acknowledges her. Pale paws pull the shorter wolf to the edge of the ring closest to her and she looks to the claw marks that line where the border of pit is. Positioning herself to face the center, Fern pushes her claws into the soft dirt and pull back as she starts to dig at the earth. The unknown wolf’s voice is melodic and the exotic accent that colors each word has the gray girl realizes how clunky and airy her own voice is. She offers the woman a smile and a dip of her head in understanding before turning her ocean-hued eyes back to the task. Paws dig at the ground and they work together, the rhythm and speed lulling Fern into a comfortable silence as the ladies till the earth.

As they get deeper, the gray girl looks at the piles of dirt that are accumulating on both sides and says, “Do you think we can use these to our advantage? Maybe pile them in such a way that the deer will want to funnel in on this side?” Bright eyes turn to the woman as she pauses a moment to catch her breath, mind working to try and think of ways to aid in this endeavor. A fly buzzes the girl’s face and she absently mindedly swipes a paw at it before she returns to the pit that they are digging.


"Fern Lark"