Red Dawn

Tokotas Name:

It had been two days since she had been separated from the main group. Nerves settled into Anna’s stomach with each passing hour, knowing that her chances for survival were slim out here alone. Even with two dire tokotas at her side, these mountains were ruthless and if she ran into trouble, she could find herself in a bad situation. So many dangers lurked nearby and Anna was all too aware of it. She’d seen cat tracks earlier that day, but out here mountain lions were the least of her worries. The pack of wild dire tokotas called this territory home. Every dropping pine needle, every twig snapping under the weight of snow, every rustle of the breeze had Anna on edge. It didn’t help that the tokotas were uneasy and alert, Bronach growling at the shadows of the forest.

She worried for her tribe, hoping that no one else had been separated. She thought of Tana, with Yakkii so inexperienced… And of Tuaq. While he had Kaniq, who would protect him at all costs, this land was still no place to be off alone. They had already gone through so much together to get to this point; the thought of him stuck in the same position she was in made her stomach turn. She at least had her magic.

Conceding to her busy mind, Anna pulled herself from her warm spot against Reese’s flank and began to tidy up her meager temporary camp. She buried the ashes of her fire under snow, rolled up her sleeping back and re-tacked the tokotas. Both were on edge and uneasy, Bronach nearly nipping Anna as she tightened the breast strap of her harness. A quick reprimand had the female back in order, but her ears still laid flat and her eyes shifted from shadow to shadow. Satisfied that everything was properly packed, Anna paused to say a prayer to the spirits, thanking them for the uneventful night and asking for insight to find the path back to her companions.

The dark, star littered sky began to lighten every so slightly in the ease, shifting from the blackest of blues to a soft, faded indigo. Sunrise would be soon. The dires needed to hunt if Anna wanted them to be able to travel and reunite with the scouting party. Pulling herself up into Reese’s saddle, Anna urged him forward. The dires trailed South through the thin forest, heading for the lower plains in hopes of finding prey. The air was crisp and Anna was thankful for it, giving her a second wind of energy.

The sun finally broke over the horizon, washing the area in peachy golden tones. Anna slowed Reese as they approached the edge of a ridge. She scanned the flat plain, smiling with relief as she saw the horizon dotted with the small, dark bodies of an elk herd. A bull elk would be easy enough for Bronach and Reese to take down and would feed the two enough for another two days of travel. Keeping their position, Anna looked around for the easiest route down that would prevent the herd from noticing their presence.

As she prepared to start their descent, the herd spooked. Cursing under her breath, Anna held their position as she waited to see what had caused the elk to bolt. Her answer came quickly as four howling, snarling Tokotas came into view out of the pass. The dire pack…

Anna observed as the four animals hunted with precision, breaking apart the stampeding herd of elk and cornering two stags. The remainder of the herd watched off in the distance and Anna knew there would be no way to get to them now. Reese and Bronach stood tense, but obedient as they watched down over the hunt. This is what they had come for. There was a merle that caught Anna’s eye and a stunning sphinx, almost pure white. Anna squinted against the bright sun as she watched the Tokota. She had a tracking collar… and paint. Something wasn’t right… there was no way the researchers could had reached her already without Anna having caught their trail. She stood high in the saddle, looking around for any signs of a camp, but there were none. Her tired mind became more uneasy as an unsettling thought sunk in; they were not alone out here.

12 HP - 6HP (event entry) + 2HP (handler) + 1HP (non commissioned) + 3HP (727 word literature)