Hunter and Prey

Chapter 17: Hunt or be Hunted

Shadows cast over the ledges of small buildings and markets in the small-town village of Faynn, down the path from Rose's former tree home. The sky was darkening now, nearing dinner time, only a few people strewn over the roads, wandering in and out of the markets as the end of the day draws near. A suspicious looking male blue furred fox walked by the edge of an alley, cloaked in tattered brown clothing, blending in with most of the beggars of the streets. His angered and frustrated green eyes flickered nervously behind and around him, checking for any eyes trained on him. When none returned his gaze, he slipped into the dark alley without being noticed by a soul. The fox wore a pair of round-lens specs, fur clean and well groomed compared to many dirtied beggars. The fox held a small brown leather pouch close to himself as he wandered deeper into the alley. It was Darren, the flustered blue fox from the pub several nights ago, who had visited Kimata, his hired bounty hunter. His visage was grim and ruthless. If Death the Grim Reaper itself had lain it's gaze over the foxes countenance, he would think twice before tampering with such a dark soul.
Another dark figure loomed near the back concrete wall of the alley. The figure was leaning back against the wall, eyes trained intently and almost desperately on the coming fox. Darren walked closer, stopping a few feet short of the unknown presence. The dark figure was a male, white furred wolf with long black hair that hung down to around his middle back. His fur was ruffled and grey with dust and dirt. It was obvious that this wolf had not cared to groom in some time. His eyes were a brilliant silver that shone in the light, considering his dull and dirty fur. The wolf wore a black tattered, short sleeved t-shirt, with ripped black cargo pants to match. The wolfs ears, tail, hands and feet were all tipped with black. Darren watched the wolf silently for a minute or so, his bright green eyes blazing in the darkness as he observed the well-built, tall wolf before him. Their eyes met with an intensity that stated these two were no strangers to one another. Darren opened his mouth to speak after observing the wolf carefully, seeming to have concluded his pondering. "I have another task for you to accomplish... Fail once more and you will have failed your family legacy. Understood?" The blue fox spoke sternly and in a disappointed tone. The strong and well-built wolf who could've taken a swing at the smaller fox looked shameful and slightly afraid as his gaze and head lowered to stare at the ground sadly. His ears drooped as well as he nodded slowly. His voice was shaky and full of regret as he answered the fierce fox before him. "Understood sir.... I won't fail again. I resent all past failures to my family and it's legacy... By completing this mission, I will dissolve my resentful actions and regain my status as a respected Hunter, among the kingdom... And honor my family." The wolf raised his gaze once more to meet the foxes with a renewed determination, his silver eyes burning with the will to fight against the regret of a dark and horrid past. Darren nodded, handing the wolf the leather pouch, the soft clinking of gold coins emanating from it. "I hired a bounty hunter to take care of a thief several days ago, but he hasn't been seen since, or returned to collect the rest of his reward. But two days ago I saw his target alive and well, roaming the streets collecting food and varied supplies from the markets. I'm sure that he's failed and fallen under the pureness of her looks. My men found traces of footprints heading towards the western mountains, towards 'The Beyond'. My guess is that they're trying to make escape like rats in a sewer. This is your last chance... Find them and destroy them or fail your family for the last time, and lose your honor and your life. If you succeed... You may join me, and I will provide a new home for you with good pay to support a new family. Fail, and try to escape... My men will come for you. I'm counting on you Osiris." The wolf shuddered when the fox spoke of failure and nodded once he had finished. His determination burning brightly. "I won't fail you sir... You can count on me. Now what are the names and descriptions of my targets?" Darren smirked and spoke proudly at his accepted offer. "The bounty hunter, is a white and grey wolf with blue markings and blue eyes, going by the name Kimata. And the girl is a white snow leopard with blue markings and purple tints... The villagers call her Rose." Darren let the wolf grip the pouch of gold before backing away slowly. "Find them and kill them... Prove your worthiness to me and your fallen family. If not for yourself, do it for them Osiris..." With that, the blue fox whipped around under the disguise of his cloak and vanished out of the dark alley into the darkening streets.
Osiris, the white wolf stood there in silence, glancing down at the pouch of gold in his hand. Darren hadn't noticed the shudder the wolf had given at the mention of the bounty hunter, Kimata. Osiris looked back up towards the quiet street, watching the occasional person wander by, heading back into their homes. He thought about the wolf, Darren had told him of... His next target. Osiris closed his eyes and tucked the pouch of gold into his pocket, speaking softly to himself. "We shall meet again, my old friend... I'm coming for you."
The mysterious wolf reached behind him, grabbing a sheathed Katana and attaching the sheath to his belt. With that he began to stride confidently out of the alley, heading straight for the road out of town. He carried nothing on him but the clothes he had on and the sheathed katana on his left hip. His bright eyes shimmered with anticipation and determination.
Osiris wandered down the quiet, empty road sniffing at the air like a hungry beast searching for it's prey. His eyes flickered to one side of the path, a small trail catching his gaze. He stepped lightly onto the trail, following it and looking around searchingly for any helpful evidence. His piercing gaze fell over the base of a large tree, his eyes slowly following the trunk to a hollow about 10 feet up, covered with a tan canvas of sorts. Notches and knots led up like a perfect ladder to the entrance of the hole. The wolf grinned and climbed up into the hollow swiftly like a cat, pushing the curtain aside and stepping into the spacious room inside. This was no home of a village hermit... This was the makeshift camp of someone who did a lot of travel... He knew whoever was here last had left in a hurry. One scent completely filled the room, having become noticeable from the path. He could tell it was female and feline. It was a sweet and clean scent, but not clouded by perfume like most women. He could tell she was young and healthy... His focus drifted from the detailed scent of the young cat to something faint, but more familiar. A strong, musky, scent of another male wolf, like him. It was much more overcome by the felines scent. The white wolfs eyes glinted fiercely. He wasn't here long, he concluded. And they must've left a couple days ago, their scents are faint. Osiris swept a last gaze around the hollow for any clues to where they might've gone... Nothing. His silver eyes flared and he turned toward the exit, jumping down gracefully from the tree hollow and following the small trail to the main path. Eyes sweeping and nostrils flaring to catch the most recent scent. Finally. He gazed across the path into the darker, thicker woods spanning many miles until a large mountain range. 'So that's how you wanna play,' Osiris thought deviously. Very well. He strode in the direction of the mountain range with a brisk, relentless pace, seeming to glide gracefully across the ground. Osiris glanced up at the dimming sky. It was a little past dinner time and the stars were starting to sparkle lightly in the dark. Osiris began to run into the darkness with surprising speed. Had he sped by anyone in the night they might've only glimpsed a blur before he was out of sight again. Small creatures averted themselves out of the wolfs path as fast as they could. None of them were the creatures Osiris searched for. His gazed never moved far from ahead, his speed almost never changing. The view of the mountains ahead slowly drew closer with his amazing speed bringing him closer and closer to his assigned target. He grinned as he ran, eyes glinting with a fiery determination. "I'm coming for you Kimata... You and your girl."