Nefarious acts

Athena sprinted through the forest, pushing herself to top speed. The trees here were enormous, and several feed apart, without thick underbrush to snag us. Leaves and pine needles mixed with the damp earth and moss to form a soft, springy bed to soften the blow of our paws. I let her take full control, focusing on her senses. I'd always loved the smell of the forest, but as a wolf it was so much richer.

Catching the scent of a deer, Athena whipped to the right, changing course, racing for the higher ground. The scent began to change as we crested the hill, blood tainted the deer smell, and it became harder to tell if it really was a deer. Athena slowed, creeping forward as she scanned the forest. The afternoon sun was low, offering a bright orange glow to the treetops, but the forest floor was growing darker. Wolves have much better vision in the dark than humans, but that didn't mean we couldn't be caught off guard.

The wind shifted slightly, and a rotten scent that made the hair