Ninja Turtles Meet The Huntress

Stronger Bonds

The day for Raph's training to begin came only two days later. He had practiced every day with his bow and was confident enough that he could kill something as long as it was calm out. His brothers helped him pack up what little he had in his room and move it over to the Beta house where he would be staying for a week. Carl knew that Beta training was something Raph could keep up with. He already knew how to fight and had enough protective instincts to keep the pack safe. What he needed to learn was how to socialize and how to relate. The Junior Betas could help with that.

Jaden welcomed Raph and his brothers to the house. Carl had decided that it might be good for the other turtles to start training with his Junior Betas as well so they could learn what it was to be a Beta. Everyone just assumed that was the role they would play in the pack. Luckily, the three brothers weren't required to live with the Junior Betas as Raph was. They just reported for Duty every morning except on Saturday and Sunday, which was Beta relaxation time.

Raph was given a room upstairs. It wasn't very big and it was a little dim but he could handle that. They put his stuff down and then followed Jaden down to the main level which had a spacious living area and kitchen.

"Don't worry man, you're going to have fun here." Jaden promised.

He didn't lie. Raph had already been getting used to the way the Junior Betas acted. Over the next week, he learned to joke the way they did, and all the way too personal comments and completely obscene conversations started being funny instead of rude. He came to learn that they talked like this because they cared and were involved in each other's lives, and they expected to be treated like that in return. He formed quite a few friendships in those short seven days and also learned a lot about hunting. They had been teaching him to track as well as how to play the wind. They taught him pack hunting formations as well as how a pack responds together to face a threat. The end of the week came and a big hunt was to be held, led by him as a final test.

Raph stalked through the underbrush quietly, his arrow already knocked. His sense of smell wasn't as sharp as his wolf friends and he was at a disadvantage there. They kept him true though, surrounding a lone buck who was cautiously making his way through the forest. Raph could see him moving and tried to ease his pounding heart. He crept closer and the buck lifted his head, looking for the source of some small noise Raph had made. Raph was thankful for his new found knowledge of wind direction as he stilled and waited for the bucks head to swivel away. He moved when the deer did, creeping well into his desired range. He drew back his bow and waited. The deer stepped forward. He released his arrow at the same time as he exhaled and the arrow flew swift and true. It disappeared into the deer which immediately ran off into the woods.

"Did I get it?" Raph asked Jaden who stood a few paces behind him.

"Yeah. I can smell its blood." He said. "Let's go find it."

Raph led the pack of Betas into the woods. He found the blood trail and followed it to where the deer lay. It kicked a few times and then went still, its breath leaving its body.

"Congratulations on your first kill." Jaden said, punching his shoulder.

"Thanks." Raph grinned. "Don't you guys have some kills to make?"

Jaden grinned. "Your She-Alpha will be waiting for yours. You head back and we'll catch up."

Raph nodded as he shouldered the deer. There was a celebration tonight in honor of his first hunt and he was expected to return with his kill and lay it at his She-Alpha's feet the way she had done the night they had hunted to celebrate their new life. It was a symbol of his skills as a provider and a protector. By his own hands would he feed his pack and that gave him a little thrill of pride. He began to walk back to the compound. They had gone a couple miles out to find a deer for him and walking would give the other Betas a chance to kill something and catch up to him. When he finally made it back to the compound, each of the seven Betas he had chosen to hunt with had returned with kills of their own.