Elderly versus puppy (seasonal)

Thorn had decided to return to the berry grove as it was becoming a favorite spot for the blue pup.  It had started off as a great place to find sticks for swords but it was also just a great place to explore.  There was a wide array of scents, and it seemed like always a new scent that he’d have no name for.  

Thorn headed north, further into the grove, eyes looking ahead where he knew the grove would end and another land would be there just ripe to explore.  Unfortunately, it wouldn’t be explored today.  The boy sat down with a frustrated huff as the idea of exploring seemed so fun and tantalizing but there was no adult here with him.  Thorn could go forward without, sure but, then either dad would learn of it and the pup would lose dad’s trust or he wouldn’t tell dad and get away with it but know the entire time he was guilty.  

With a resigned sigh, Thorn forced himself to look away from the northern direction he wanted to take, focusing on the crunchy leaves beneath his feet.  The boy kicked up a few, finding moist soil underneath, and sent a small beetle scurrying for a new hiding spot.  Thorn leaped ahead as far as he could before kicking up a few more.  Nothing interesting that time.  Another cluster of leaves was kicked up and a toad leaped out and continued leaping until it disappeared under another stack of leaves.

Kicking up the crunchy leaves was growing old.  Thorn started to move eastward, planning to check out the underside of some bushes when he heard a sound further ahead.  Trying to move silently when crunchy leaves littered the ground was quite a trick.  The boy did his best to limit the crunching of the leaves and as it turned out he didn’t have to walk.  A lean bristle-coated coyote stepped out of the brush.   He was gray in the muzzle and faint lines of old scars could be seen in areas where the fur was less dense.  He was an old fellow and his eyes latched onto the boy.  The coyote glanced around the area cautiously before grinning smugly at the boy and starting forward.

Thorn’s brows raised on realizing what he was up against.  The boy let out his best howl of alarm about sighting a predator on pack land.  The boy started to back up a few paces then decided it was a waste of time.  The coyote was probably faster, probably, it did look as old as some of the trees in that grove.  Lowering his head Thorn snarled at the coyote.  Maybe he could scare it off?  It was just a coyote and Thorn was a wolf after all!  Maybe pup versus ancient balanced out.  “Get off our land,” Thorn snarled as he boldly took a step forward.  

All he needed to do was chase it off, how hard could that be?  Thorn’s mind went over every trick he’d been taught so far, observed his enemy, and worked on coming up with a strategy.  After three or four seconds that seemed like forever, he decided to wait on the coyote to make the first move.  It certainly wasn’t fleeing so Thorn imagined it would attack at some point and Thorn would try to figure out its movements.  The boy lacked the muscle of an adult and the battle experience but he was fast.

The coyote finally made his move and jogged in the few strides they were separated.  Thorn felt his heart pumping as he demanded himself to remain strong.  Focus, focus.  It definitely didn’t move as fast as the wolves in the hallows that Thorn had trained with.  The boy was able to leap sideways of the attack.  The coyote’s head stretched out wide and open for a second.  Thorn remembered a lesson with Avantika and eagerly bit the neck.  Thorn tasted blood in his mouth! Then he felt the wind get knocked out of him.

He had bit the neck but he’d waited for a breath too long to let go.  The coyote had flung his neck, sending Thorn sailing into a crunchy pile of leaves.  At least it was a kind of soft landing?

WC 710 / 1500
"Thorn Carpathius"