Standing still, shaggy head tilted upwards, he sniffed, testing the winds. The light blue orb of the Eastern Moon blanketed the surrounding ground in hazy light, creating blue tips along Shirkarr's black fur. Turning slightly, his amber eyes gazed at the Western Moon's dull orange glow. Shirkarr's tongue lolled out of his mouth. Hunting would be good this night.
"We travel west," Shirkarr said. He loped off, heading to the Western Forest, his pack following silently. At the edge of the Western Forest, Shirkarr paused, allowing the two youngest members time to catch up. The young ones would hinder the pack, Shirkarr was certain . . . but they needed to learn the Way of the Hunt. He paced, eyeing the brothers Ka'rael and Ka'relu, their sides still heaving from their exertion.
"Ka father's weak ones," Jarel quietly said to Shirkarr. Ignoring the bright gleam coming from Shirkarr's exposed teeth, Jarel continued. "They are slow and tire swiftly. They still retain a cubs' clumsiness . . . ." He stopped, hearing Shirkarr's low, menacing growl of warning. He prayed he had not pushed his friend, the pack Alpha, too far.
Shirkarr glanced at Ka'rael and Ka'relu, and then turned back, gazing intently into his friends' dark eyes. "They are young, coming from a line who are slow to change, to mature. You are aware their mothers' change was slow in coming, as was Ka's. The Law shows, offspring would also be slow to change." Shirkarr paused, gazing upwards at the orange orb high above, before continuing. "They are young, true enough, but they must learn the Way of the Hunt. I do not expect them to do anything but hinder the rest - but still, they must be taught. The stars and moons have not been so well aligned for a Hunt, since the time when Ka led the Pack." Pausing to test the winds once again, Shirkarr's nostrils flared and saliva filled his mouth. A slight shudder passed through him as the Scent he sought, filled him. "They must learn the Hunt, and I must teach them. It is what Ka did for me, when I was a cub. It is what Ka would expect from me."

Rising to his full height, Shirkarr motioned for silence. Easily standing a full head taller then any other, he was an imposing sight. When all eyes were upon him, he slowly and deliberately lifted his head, nose pointed towards the Western Moon and inhaled deeply, exhaling in short, quick bursts. Turning slightly, he pointed towards the center of the Western Forest, then motioned towards Jarel. Jarel confirmed with a barely perceptible nod and moved off, three members following closely behind him. Shirkarr continued his silent assignments, hesitating when Dronn motioned to Ka'rael and Ka'relu to follow him. He shook his shaggy head.
Dronn's light amber eyes widened, clearly surprised. Uneasily, he headed off deep into the Western Forest, certain this was the first time the Alpha of the pack had ever gone on a Hunt with another by his side, in his lifetime. Didn't the Law state the Alpha always hunted alone?

Shirkarr motioned to Ka's sons. He watched as they shuffle-walked to his side, their half formed paws scattering leaves and breaking twigs with each step. Ka'rael's change was a bit more advanced then Ka'relu's was. His snout, although too flat, had elongated into a partial wolf nose and his ears were pointed, lying correctly atop his head. Most of his body still resembled the human side of him, albeit a hairy human. Ka'relu's ears lay flat on his head, hindering his sense of sound, Shirkarr was sure, and his snout was flatter then Ka'rael's. He had one paw totally transformed; the other arm and both legs were still human in appearance.
"For this part of the Hunt, you must transform back to your Other. I will remain as I am while I track the Prey," he said, "and you follow - as quietly as you can - behind me. Stay hidden amongst the trees."
Ka's sons nodded in unison at their Alpha, and began the transformation process. When they no longer held any resemblance to the Pack, Shirkarr nodded his shaggy head, and slowly loped off without a backward glance. The Law stated each Pack member must obey the Alpha - unless they wished to challenge his word, or, die. Shirkarr had never been challenged.

***