Phoenix Maplewood look around, leaves are brown

With a nod, Shale set off, lithe silver body slinking through the thicket that surrounded the pond. Still unaware of their presence, the deer had ceased grazing and now was taking long drinks of clear water, its muzzle buried in the icy pool.

His plan was to circle well round the deer and approach it from the other side, thus chasing it to where Murdock was waiting. There was a chance that it could catch his scent in the mean-time, true, but Shale felt he was redolent enough of the forest scent, and so long removed from other wolves, that it would not immediately recognize him as a predator.

He made his loop, keeping his paws as quiet and steady as he could, and emerged from the trees just a few tail-lengths' away from the deer. Now it had noticed something was wrong; it lifted its head, black eyes scanning the surroundings warily. Before it could puzzle it out, Shale lunged, leaping at its heels with a fearsome growl.

Crying out in alarm, the deer fled, running, just as planned, toward the spot Shale had left Murdock. He got in a few good swipes at the hind legs as he pursued, hoping to weaken the animal before his big brother took him down entirely.