The Hunt

(Page One)

J’Karrah awoke as the brilliant light of the morning sun fell across her face. She grumbled a little and pulled one wing up to block the offending light. She wasn’t ready to get up yet, preferring to lounge a bit longer in the soft nest of pine boughs she had made the night before. But the sudden rumbling of her empty stomach reminded her that it had been several days since she had last eaten. She grumbled once more in annoyance before rising slowly to her haunches and stretching her ebony wings to their fullest, giving them a few gentle flaps to get the circulation going.

She started to head for the stream a short distance from where she slept to quench her thirst when she heard the distant, but unmistakable bellowing of wild bulls challenging one another over position within the herd. It was too early in the year for the rut to begin, so she guessed that it must have be a bachelor band. Older, more experienced bulls knew better than to draw such attention to themselves without at least the possibility of fathering the next generation. A hungry Dragon was not the only possible danger to prowl the grasslands that bordered the forest, even if it was the greatest.

Once again J’Karrah’s stomach reminded her of its desire to be filled and she smiled to herself. It had been a long time since she had hunted wild cattle and the thought of a herd so close (as the Dragon flies) was enough to make her mouth water. In eager anticipation she spread her great wings and took to the sky.

The air was chill, but the sun quickly warmed the Dragon’s black scales so she took her time locating the bachelor band. Even so, it didn’t take long before she spotted them. The two largest bulls were pawing the ground with sharp hooves as they squared off against one another. J’Karrah flew a little higher to ensure the herd would not sense her presence overhead while she contemplated her next move. Some Dragons preferred to use magic to hide their approach and others chose to hit their quarry with a burst of Dragon fire for a quick kill. J’Karrah preferred the thrill of the chase, allowing her prey the opportunity to try and elude her as they might elude a lesser predator. Granted that meant she risked missing a tasty meal should her quarry make it to the shelter of the forest, but the satisfaction she always felt for a successful hunt made the risk worthwhile and when the time came for the kill she always made certain that it was quick and painless.

From her vantage point high above the valley, J’Karrah observed the distribution of the herd. While another Dragon may have chosen to take advantage of the situation and strike at the pair battling for dominance she preferred to leave those two alone. They were obviously the strongest of the herd and would provide the greatest challenge to hunt, but they also provided the best opportunity for the future welfare of the wild cattle that inhabited these mountain pastures. So she decided to study the rest of the herd to locate a more opportune target and began to circle around to the far end of the valley where they had gathered.