Bearclaw Valley the sleeper

Ashlar felt terrible for letting the squirrel get away, and he stared at it regretfully from his spot on the dirt.  He didn't mind not needing to kill it because each time he did, he hated the cries the creatures made.  Hunting was a necessity but it would never be one he enjoyed.  He hated that she'd trusted him to do his part and he hadn't managed to make good on it.

The girl (whose name he had not gotten yet, Ashlar realized) seemed not to have given up yet.  The young wolf's attention moved over to her as she approached, then huddled down and nearly disappeared into a bed of leaves.  Ashlar blinked, then caught on as she nodded.  OH!  They were hiding!

His tail waved excitedly, but he waited a second before creeping as quietly as he could over.  He was nearly afraid to breathe, he was so excited to see if this plan played out.  He'd always assumed when a squirrel was treed it was gone, but if there was a trick to it, it would be like the rabbits in their warrens!  Already he was learning, and he trained his eyes while he attempted to keep his breathing quiet and slow.

WC: 205