~Scent & Sound~

The shrill, undulating howls of coyotes suddenly spilled into the crisp winter area. There was something odd about their calls, but one thing was certain - it was a sizeable pack harrying some large prey, and they seemed to be staying in one area...

Aakari

The yammering coyotes brought a low growl the the throat of the white wolfdog. Cold yellow eyes slid open with a look of utter irritation at the sleep that had been disturbed and for the prey that was being poached. Poached on her land. Aakari stood, leaving behind a wolf-sized indentation in the snow and matted, dead ferns that had made her nest at the base of a broad hemlock tree. She shook away what little flakes of powder had fallen on her during her nap, and pointed her long muzzle in the direction of the incessant yapping and crying, and ushered forth a loud and melodious howl of her own to the interlopers.

"You have exactly one minute to shut your traps before I start hunting the lot of you!" The alphess let that warning hang in the air, then went silent to listen for their response.

~Coyotes~

Oddly enough, the howling did not abate. The yapping, ringing cries continued on in defiance to the clearly angry alpha wolf and her warning to leave. Whatever the coyotes were after, Aakari's threat was not enough to deter them from it.

Aakari

Her ivory furred lips writhed back to unveil the glistening fangs beneath. "The sheer audacity!" The snarl was quiet but intense, "They think they have no need to fear me? They'll learn today the name Aakari." Her pride thoroughly riled, Aakari tilted her head back and cast another howl to the heavens, this time calling for her grandmother. She then listened one more time to the coyotes, just to pinpoint their location in her land. And once she had a general idea of where they were, the wolfess set off in earnest.

Knowing her territory by heart, the white wolf took advantage of thickets and shallow ravines as she got nearer to the smaller canines, wanting to keep her profile low so that she could rush in for a surprise attack. The thick snow on the ground further aided her, muffling her padded paws as she now went from a run to a quick but stealthy stalk.

~Coyotes~

The closer Aakari got, the louder the howling became. They showed utterly no fear or even concern for the alpha wolf, and missed not a beat in their wailing song. When at last she reached the treeline that edged the small meadow where the pack had gathered, their chorus of yelps continued out as loud as ever. And yet... there was something odd about it, almost flat in the way it sounded.

One thing was sure though, their ruckus was loud, so much so that they didn't seem to hear the much larger canine closing in. Across the snowy landscape, settled down in a slope amid the gentle roll of the meadow, four small, canine figures stood in a loose cluster. Two had their muzzles tilted to the sky, while the other two stood flank to the flank. None of them turned to look in Aakari's direction.

Aakari

'Stubborn bastards.' Aakari thought to herself with growing ire. Four was a decent group of coyotes, but it was still a number she felt she could handle. She had the blood of legends coursing through her after all, and the size and strength of those great ancestors.

The wolfess took a steadying breath and selected her prey. Cold, pale yellow eyes locked onto one of the mongrels with its head down. Her heart raced and the pulse pounded in her ears, but her mind was as calm as the water on a morning pond. Like the strike of a snake, Aakari lunged forward and broken into the clearing, streaking over the hills without a snarl or howl of warning. Her aim was to kill as many of them as she could, and stoke fear into the hearts of those that fled.

~Coyotes~

Aakari was swift and silent in her attack, sweeping across the ground like a pale wraith towards her victims. So stealthy was she that none of the four coyotes so much as flicked an ear in her direction or paused their cacophonous symphony.

One-hundred yards..

Seventy yards...

Fifty yards...

Thirty yards, and still none of them were aware of the death that flew their way.

Twenty yards...

A slight punch and prick of pain hit the wolf's side as she was almost onto of her quarry, but it was no worse than the irritated nip of a pack member or sting of a nettled bee. Certainly nothing to stop the alpha from slamming full force into the life-like stuffed animal that had been positioned along with three others in the center of the meadow, all surrounding a strange box where the cry of the coyotes was actually coming from.

Aakari

Aakari flinched at the smack of pain at her side, but already had too much momentum built up to stop and see what had assaulted her. She was also running too hard and too fast to properly stop and contemplate why these foolish coyotes hadn't moved a literal muscle since she burst into the open and charged dead on for them. She also didn't see the strange device on the ground until after she'd picked herself up and darted hasty eyes around at the pile of fallen stuffed animals, just to be she none of them would get up and have a go at her.

"What in the great world is this?" Her tail high but cricked with suspicion and uncertainty, the white wolf sniffed at the coyote she'd taken down, while her light eyes scanned the noisy contraption hidden neatly nearby. A growl formed again in her throat and she gave the stuffed animal a nip. No reaction. She stepped towards the box next and pinned her ears at the blaring howls and cries that came from it. She couldn't fathom coyotes fitting inside that thing, so how was it making that noise? Aakari raised a paw and nudged the odd box, and was surprised to find it felt solid, like a stone. She lowered her muzzle closer, and was caught off guard by a sudden weakness in her legs that nearly had her falling forward. Blinking rapidly, Aakari drew back and shook her head, trying to clear it of the fog that was starting to set it.

~Kate & Greg~

The alpha's struggles were under keen observation. Across the opposite end of this small meadow, several yards up in the branches of an ancient oak tree, Kate was watching Aakari's reaction with the vigilance of a hawk and the assistance of a large pair of binoculars. Beside her in the well-camouflaged blind was Greg, who was busy readying the equipment they were about to bring down.

"See any others yet?" The young man asked, glancing up to the other.

Without a twitch of her head, she whispered back, "No. I think this is the alpha though. No sign of the older female."

Though believing his partner, Greg nonetheless leaned forward towards the reinforced wall and peered through one of the small mesh windows. The four decoy coyotes were scattered about on the ground, and the bold wolf was investigating their recorder. But no sign of any other wolves.

"We'll give it two more minutes, then head down. Got the timer ready?" Kate queried, still not looking away from her target.

Greg nodded, "Timer's running."