“You need to take someone with you. Even a smaller pack–!”

“No, I just feel like I need to do this alone. Clear my mind, help me think.”

“But if you are taken by surprise, killed, or lost, then the swarm loses their absolute leader. Nobody can take over for you and lead the swarm safely in your absence. You need to consider the consequences from your actions, because this could be devastating.”

“Sybil, everything you’re saying is absolutely correct.”

“Then–”

“I’m still doing it alone.”

Sybil barely withheld the groan of exasperation, “Didn’t we just talk about how we needed to stay unified to stay safe now?”

A slow nod from me.

“Then stay unified with the rest of the swarm, if not a smaller pack!”

“Not this time. I just… feel like I need to be alone for this. Send some to follow me if you wish, but I’ll be doing whatever I do alone. I need the exercise. Also, see if you can organize a caravan of sorts that can transport the nearest stockpile towards the main body of the swarm.”

“Fine.” Her voice was businesslike, then cracked with a hint of caution, “Come back soon.”

Sybil whirled around and stalked over to Took and began talking while only barely restraining herself from gesticulating everywhere in her frustration. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Took gesture for some pack to approach her but I didn’t dwell on it, instead grabbing my spear tightly and beginning to look around for somewhere I thought I could find big game.

Initially, I walked aimlessly, finding myself distracted by small things, a brief flutter of movement in a nearby fern, an interesting scent coming from the root system of a burlraiz, or a soft call of some nocturnal creature. It had been a while since I’d been on a hunt, and even longer since I’d had to participate in the tracking. A part of me saw Foire’s steps, his process and began to postulate from there.

I knew there were Scaled Deer in the area, I’d seen their corpses here. They liked meadows, it was where their preferred greenery grew. They would scatter if they caught wind of the swarm, so they wouldn’t be too close, and I knew from my past life that they usually slept in small herds. They were dangerous if cornered, but wouldn’t fight if they felt they had an out. Usually a dominant male would serve as a deterrent to predators, and they were about 50% larger than the rest of the loose herd’s members.

I slowly ranged out, keeping low and quiet while searching for a clearing. The first two I found quickly and were empty, nothing more noteworthy than the flickering movement and soft calls from earlier. In the second, however, I did find traces of tracks, and from a herd of Scaled Deer no less. They led deeper into the forest, and I continued my hunt as stealthily as I could manage.

Somewhere around half an hour later I followed the tracks to another clearing. This one was much larger, and, surprisingly, had a huge number of Scaled Deer here, at least 50. I could identify at least two dominant males and I quickly realized that me taking this on alone would be a waste of resources.

“Dulvroc take it… Come out so we can plan something.” A moment’s silence. “I’m talking to you.”

Almost sheepishly, Illne and Solia came close. Illne hung her head but Solia spoke up, “How could you tell?”

“I didn’t see you, one of your subordinates wasn’t careful enough coming into the first clearing–I caught a brief glance of their heat and started paying attention. I wasn’t expecting you two though.” I nodded appreciatively. “How many of you are there, and where are you all?”

Illne looked to Solia who spoke again, “There are ten of us, eleven counting you, Alpha. Six are hunters, the other four scouts.”

“Call them in.”

Illne let out a soft low whistle and in a matter of maybe 30 seconds the other eight keelish made themselves known. There were two more khatif, both I was familiar with: Crolt and Cazala. Considering how much time I’d spent with Cazala, I wasn’t surprised he’d also evolved, but I was surprised to see Crolt was. He’d been Wisterl’s Beta last time I’d seen him, but the previous pack structure was slowly dissolving, so I wasn’t sure where he fell now. Cazala was built like a taller, leaner Foire with his same long arms and hunched neck while Crolt was obviously a warrior.

Additionally, Joral was there. He had grown to adulthood while I’d been busy with other things and he seemed to have lost most of his pack with the human’s assault. Since then he’d become withdrawn–much of his previous excitement and enthusiasm had disappeared while his outspoken nature had all but disappeared. He didn’t quite look to be khatif, but he also wasn’t quite keelish either. His front arms had lengthened and thickened, almost like a Nanuk (a massive furry mammal that walked on all six limbs but could bend its back enough to support itself on four while attacking with its two massive forepaws).

Internally I filed away the thought that I needed to come up with names for the different castes as simply calling them by what they do wasn’t going to cut it as a truer society began to be developed. Titles would establish prestige and a sense of belonging…

I suddenly realized both Illne and Solia were looking at me expectantly alongside the rest of the pack and I had no idea if they’d said something to me. Retaining as much composure as I could (which was coming more and more easily to me), “I’m sorry, I was thinking about how to go about this. Did you say something?”

Both shook their heads in the negatory.

I nodded contemplatively for a moment while I thought. Then, inspiration struck.

“Cazala, Crolt, you ever hunted a herd of deer before?”

Cazala shook his head no, but Crolt spoke, “Yes, Alpha.”

“Then tell me, how do their leaders react when they feel threatened?”

“They push the herd to run in the opposite direction of the threat while they deal with it.”

“Then there’s our answer, isn’t it?”

I initially felt confused eyes on me, then, suddenly, a wave of comprehension flowed over the pack and all around me were mouths gleaming with the shining fangs of my smiling subordinates.

…

Merely five minutes later, I received the signal that everyone was in position.

The hunt was on.