Surprise attacks

Rudy had been a late-night wolf for a long time but now his schedule had changed.  Wanting to be awake every moment his own children were he started waking up at the same hours as Fern always had.  The kids got their goodbyes and warnings to behave this morning and he’d left the castle walls to try and get some hunting in before the sun had crossed too far over the horizon.  The time when shadows took over the landscape was best for him and while it was a reason to love the cover of night.  That didn’t mean he couldn’t hunt during the day.  This morning he’d managed to find a young deer who had strayed too far from his mother.  It had been easy to sneak up on the foolish fawn. It wasn’t a very challenging hunt in the end but it would be a good bit of meat for a growing family.  

Rudy sat in the grass now watching Reddy, his red-tailed hawk.  The bird had been effective this morning also, helping itself to a rattlesnake it had surprised and quickly snatched up in its talons, killing it before the snake had a chance to realize it was doomed.  This was the second snake Reddy had targeted after Rudy had been bitten by one.  Rudy wasn’t sure if the bird had just found them easier to hunt lately, tastier, or a bit of revenge for one having bit its wolf friend.  Regardless, the bird was quite the proficient killer.  The motley wolf with his deer-antlers and deer-like tail glanced from bird to dead fawn, letting more of its lifeblood seep out before he’d take it back into the castle.  

"Rudyard Carpathius"