Chapter Four

Maru and Shiv tasted the air for the boar scent, leaving Love and Linia by the water. It felt wonderful to be roaming through the wilderness again. Two wolf-Beasts moved like shadows, sliding smoothly around trees and bushes, and their enormous paws made no sound.

“There,” whispered Maru.

And there was a faint delicious scent of boar. Shiv began to salivate uncontrollably, and thick ropes of drool hung down from his jaws. He hoped Maru wasn’t watching.

The two separated slightly to cover more ground and eventually came upon a large boar digging vigorously into the ground with husky grunts. Shiv hunched closer to the ground, tail twitching.

Immediately Maru trotted into the shadows. Shiv stayed close to the ground, recognizing the basic hunting strategy. Maru would circle around the boar, keeping out of the light breeze, and then frighten the boar towards Shiv, who would take it down.

And as Shiv watched, the boar lifted its head, as if sensing something.

With eerie silence, Maru leaped out of trees opposite Shiv with his jaws wide open. The boar squealed and  bolted instinctively away from the enormous wolf-Beast, straight towards Shiv, and Maru’s teeth snapped audibly shut on air.

Shiv waited until the boar was nearly on top of him before leaping upwards at an angle. His claws tore into the boar’s fleshy shoulders, and he twisted his body and slammed the terrified animal to the ground with an earth-shaking thud. He crushed its throat between his jaws, and when the boar finally ceased to struggle, Maru nodded, impressed.

“Great teamwork, and extraordinary strength for one who’s lived on circus food for so long,” he said.

Shiv smiled. “I am hungry.”

The two of them dragged the heavy carcass back to the pond. Love smelled the food before they reached the campsite and helped them drag the boar back to Linia, who had already prepared a small fire to cook herself some meat.

“About time. I thought the boar got you,” said Linia with a small smirk at Maru. She pulled a pearly dagger out from somewhere within the folds of her white summer dress and began skinning the boar. Love was already tearing into the carcass.

“You better hurry before they eat the whole thing,” said Maru.

The Beasts fell to the boar, and Shiv thought he had never eaten anything finer.

When the four had finished their meal, they quickly washed up in the pool, took one last drink, and continued on their way.