Red also took a moment to view their surroundings. Having to avoid running into trees would slow down both the hunters and the hunted, so they would have to be careful about that. But Red also knew that there was a lake in the center of the woods. Hopefully they wouldn’t have to chase the creature that far, but if they did, it would come to their advantage, as they might be able to trap the creature between themselves and the water. With these things now in mind, the coywolf turned her head a bit to signal to Meldresi that she was going to begin the hunt.
Wolves typically had a few stages of hunting: locating prey, stalking, encountering, rushing, and chasing. And, of course, killing. Sometimes a few of those steps were skipped over, depending on the circumstances. These instinctive steps in the “dance”, so to speak, were ingrained in Red’s brain, so she began the stalk automatically, sneaking up behind the deer as quietly as she could, like a wraith in the trees. She didn’t check to see if her partner was following, as she didn’t expect Meldresi to do anything but follow.
However, only a few feet into the stalking, the deer’s attention was caught somehow, and in a moment, it was fleeing. Red dug her back legs into the soil and sprang forward at a dead run, trying to aim the creature towards the lake. She barked over her shoulder at Meldresi to say, Follow me!