Hunter and the Silent Wolf
I hit it but knew it wasn’t dead, which meant it could still be dangerous.
Cautiously, I moved towards the area where it landed, legs trudging through the snowy bank.
No wolf. My hands flew through the snow, but I felt no mane, no body or torso stalking low in wait. Had it run off? Found cover?
Blood.
I followed the spotted trail, siding near the edge of the forest opening. Under a canopy of trees, the reddish-brown spots curved, falling behind snow-laden shrubs and fragments of broken branches that trailed over the frozen ground.