.aleu

yes, the ivory lupine had disappeared for quite awhile- some had even declared her dead. why? didn't they know that aleu, of all the wolves, could take care of herself? she'd heard rumors of this 'large predator decimation' thing going on in her old turf, sparkling creek valley, and had decided she ought to return. so here she was, aleu, the fourth most wanted wolf in this whole confounded area.

her dark mahogany eyes searched the cliff carefully as she hunkered in the shadows, a slight breeze ruffling her thick snowy pelt. one leg was held out a bit, in a different position than her other. yes, aleu had suffered a gunshot wound a long, long time ago. it had healed, but left a bit of stiffness and a limp. she also bore many scars beneath her flawless coat, bullet scars, fight scars... even needle scars, from her time of confinement in the old labs. but she'd escaped it all, made it out alive- and here she was, hiding in the shadows.

her delicate nostrils caught the hot (and recent) scent of bullets and blood- things that aren't exactly comforting. breathing quietly, silent in her position, the lupine continued to survey the area, creeping forward slightly, still hidden in the brush...

*Hunters*

This time around, their success was greater. The PDP had been thought out and planned in more detail, whereas previous hunts - organized haphazardly by ambitious locals - had faired far worse. So far, only one hunter had been killed, and not even by a wolf or cougar! It was a freak accident, to say the least, and it was a blow to the otherwise flawless efforts the program was having. Yet even that was hardly to be compared to the hunting failures of the past

Not only did they have minimal casualties, they had killed or captured a surprising amount of target animals as well. Attacks on humans seemed to be on the decline in the Valley, and predation on livestock was at an all-time-low. Whether it was because of the PDP or not, the locals were estactic, and encouraged a greater effort from the program. And so it lapsed into a second month of culling.

Having captured a wolf pup and wounded both parents a day ago, two ambitious hunters were scaling the steep trails of the Canyon. Armed with riffles, the duo neglected the newly established guidlines of the PDP and went on foot, without hunting dogs, and without the proper 'gear'. Still, despite being more vulnerable that most of the other hunters, these two were quite capable of looking after themselves. In the face of most predators, they had nothing to fear. It was th cunning Legendaries that had to be watched, for those beasts seemed to have an uncanny ability to kill humans.

As the two mounted the top of the Canyon trail they were on, they headed along the rim of the great rock surface. In the high, northern area, a light dusting of snow covered the ground. It gave Aleu great camo, but it also provided the two-leggers with her prints.

"There, look what we have.." One man exclaimed quietly, pointing at the set of tracks. The other nodded, kneeling slightly to see the faint impressions in the snow. The first man continued, pointing to a particular print, "See how the track's off a bit? Wounded leg." He was a keen tracker. The two grew more excited now as the spoke, for one of the top Wanted Wolves was noted for having a slightly lame leg, from a past encouter with humans. They couldn't be sure until they saw her of course, but they were hopeful as they began to follow the tracks...

.aleu

aleu caught sight of the humans just before they saw her pawprints, and she gasped quietly. she shifted her weight slightly so that she was perfectly still, and she began to survey her surroundings, taking stock of possible escapes. the lupine could always turn tail and go through the brush, but- there were some fall leaves still hidden under the snow, which would crackle and give away her flight. narrowing her green eyes, she glanced back at the humans (they were just now beginning to peruse the tracks), and she knew she needed to act fast. she had quickly caught sight of the two hunting rifles possessed by each of the men, and knew that they were to be feared (the guns, not the men... men are weak). the element of suprise was all that aleu had right now, and it was something she had to use to her advantage. gathering herself together, muscles taut and coiled, ready to spring, she waited until the exact moment...

just as the first man would have caught sight of her, she leapt from the brush, lips pulled back in a wicked snarl. aleu had aimed for the first man's exposed neck, which was easily seen as he bent over a bit to trace a print. she did give herself just enough leeway to twist away should he have fast enough reflexes to strike at her... she would be able to latch onto his arm, or dodge and land on the ground. She wasn't planning on killing these two (unless she had to)... she preferred to escape for now. Perhaps she'd leave at least one of them with some new tatoos... we'll have to see, eh?

*Hunters*

One man pulled ahead of the other just slightly, partially leaned down to the frozen earth as he exaimined a print. "It's fresh. No debris in it; the detail is sharp." His voice had fallen to almost a whisper as he and the other man alike realized that this wolf could be nearby. Their assumptions were all too true, as the first man soon found out.

"Hey, watch out!" The second man cried as a blur of white exploded from the brush. It was too late though, as Aleu wrapped her fangs around the side of the man's neck, her weight and momentum causing him to fall to the ground. However, there was a bit of luck on his side. To shield from the sharp winter air, both had worn thick coats and pants. While the wolf's fangs indeed hit flesh and drew blood, the thick collar of his coat saved him from certain death by preventing the fangs from going too far too fast.

The second man raised his riffle, hesitating a moment as he lined up a shot. If he missed, it'd be his buddy catching the bullet. Thinking better, he spun the gun around and swung it like a bat, sending the heavier butt of the gun towards the wolf's side, with enough force to break a rib or two if it hit...

.aleu

when aleu bit into the thick, nasty fabric surrounding the man's neck, she nearly swore. that was all that saved him! suddenly she readjusted her grip, her jaws now surrounding the lower half of his face, her teeth piercing each end of his jaw. snarling, she shook her head viciously, in a move that would probably dislocate his jaw and leave him with permanent scars (hey, they can be hidden by a beard... grow one.)

at this point in time, she caught sight of the second man lifting the rifle, and she tensed a bit, ready to leap away. suddenly he swung it, and her eyes widened. she let go of the man's face and twisted her body, the rifle striking her hip bone, a loud crack accompanying it's connection. aleu rolled, the pain sharp as it coursed up her legs. for a moment she lay in the snow, then she was up again, wincing at the horrid pain. now thoroughly enraged, she leapt at the second man's face, for it was wide open due to the follow-through required when swinging a rifle. her aim was general, and her leap a bit off (due to the good chance of her left hipbone being fractured). adrenaline was coursing through her veins, causing her to fight through the pain (that, and the realization that if she didn't, she would die here.) snarling, she attempted to rip the man's face, her large front paws aiming for his chest, in hopes of knocking him to the ground...

*Hunters*

With a horrid cry, the first man reached for his bloodied face when Aleu was off of him. For a brief moment, his riffle was left idle in the snow as his attention was consumed by the excrutiating pain in his lower jaw.

The other man, though seeing what was coming, couldn't act quicker than the determined wolf. Before his weapon could be raised from the swing and pose a threat to her, she struck him dead on. He fell back with a heavy grunt as all the air was knocked clean out of his lungs from the impact. At the same time, he jerked his head back as he saw wolvish jaws trying for his face. Unfortunately, the human neck could offer him only so much leeway before his head could go back no further. That, and this was about the time he crashed into the ground. If it weren't for the snow, he would have knocked himself unconscious. As it was, his efforts were in vain anyway as Aleu did manage to graze her fangs across his cheeks, and imbed in his nose. Not deadly by anymeans, but the scars, in such a prominent area... they would be more than enough reason for this man to pursue this wolf to all ends.

As the newly grounded man swung a heavy fist for Aleu's skull, the first man was just picking himself up. His jaw hung akwardly open, and blood trickled steadly from the punctures where teeth had been imbedded. Like the wolf, adrenaline was working in his favor, and shock was also helping to dull the fierce pain. Grabbing up his gun, he repeated what his friend had done- a forceful swing of the weapon, aiming for her side.

.aleu

as aleu felt her fangs sink into the man's fleshy cheeks and nose (definitely not an ideal grip...), she snarled and thrashed her head about. aleu had all her attention focused on the man at hand, not a smart move. she saw his fist coming up out of the corner of her eye, and she let go of his face. leaping off his chest and over his head, the fist struck her in the ribs, with enough force to cause some painful bruising- nothing more. spinning about, which is difficult when you're hip is nearly broken, aleu caught sight of the first man approaching, swinging his rifle. ears pinned tightly against her skull, lips pulled back in a bloody snarl, she stepped sideways and barely missed being hit. suddenly she bolted, running quickly towards the brush. now that both men were in great pain, she might be able to make a clean escape, with no bullets being fired... that was her hope. however, she was going a bit slower than usual (come on, she already had a limp- now the hip? yeesh.) and with considerable pain on her part. this wasn't finished... she'd be back. aleu was incredibly tempted just to try and end things here and now, but she knew that she was in no condition to do so, and the men both had guns.

*Hunters*

The end of the gun came barrelling down on the chest of the fallen man when Aleu sprung clear. Crack. A broken rib was the result, causing the man to curse sharply and roll painfully to his side as he tried to stand up. The other man, at loss for words after the friendly fire, decided it was best to remain focused on the real threat. As his friend was struggling to get up, he aimed his riffle at the fleeing form of the white wolf. His hands were shaking slightly, and his aim was certainly not at it's best now, but he fired two shots in her direction anyways before she was lost amongst the landscape and out of range.

Pausing a moment to be sure she didn't double back, the man turned to the other and helped him to his feet. They needed medical attention now, despite a strong desire to pursue Aleu and finish her off. At least in this weather, prints and blood would remain longer for them in the hardening snow. There was no doubt that they'd be back to track her down.

aleu

aleu heard the cock of the rifle, and sped up as much as possible, not bothering to look behind her as she fled. suddenly, the sound of the bullets being shot was heard, and she felt a flash of pain through her left hind leg. yelping, she continued to run, though it was quite pitiful now, as she kept her left leg from touching the ground. finally, she disappeared into the brush, gone from sight.