Free Web NovelChapter 34: The Moose Was a Terrible Idea
Nuan placed all her freshly molded clay bowls securely into her system inventory.
She quickly washed her muddy cargo pants and shirt in the river before taking a rapid bath to completely strip her human scent from her skin.
Once dried, she changed into her second pair of clean, fluffy wool crop tops and an animal-skin skirt.
Kael trotted back to the den first. Nuan carefully laid out all her wet bowls on a flat stone to air-dry, right next to her washed cargo pants.
"Koda, keep a strict eye on everything. Don’t you dare break a single thing," Nuan instructed, pointing a warning finger at the young wolf.
Pheww, I’ll do the pit-firing after the hunt, Nuan thought, grabbing her carved wooden spear.
She hopped nimbly onto Kael’s broad silver back, digging her fingers into his fur as he exploded into a fast sprint through the thick trees.
"So, what exactly are we heading out to hunt?" Nuan asked, the wind whipping past her ears.
To the great lake! Kael’s deep voice echoed through their telepathic link.
"Oh, a classic watering hole prey spot... what are we hunting then? A herd of deer?"
Moose, Kael stated flatly.
"Oh yeah, moose, nice—wait, MOOSE?!" Nuan’s jaw dropped. "MOOSE?! Are you out of your fucking mind?! Tell me it’s a moose calf, Kael. Not a healthy, fully-grown adult moose."
A healthy, adult male moose! Kael rumbled back proudly, leaping over a fallen log without breaking his stride.
"Are you serious right now?! You really want to hunt an adult moose completely on your own? What kind of a suicide mission is this?! Let’s just track some normal deer!"
No! We hunt the moose today! Kael growled stubbornly in her mind, his paws pounding against the dirt.
I was expecting a textbook wildlife documentary hunt, not a literal suicide mission! Dear God, why?! I have a broken ankle! Nuan screamed internally. Kael, are you absolutely sure you can take down a bull moose? Have you ever actually taken one down completely by yourself before?
Never! But I will today. I even killed a greater tiger predator. I can do this, Kael insisted.
Yeah, right! I’m completely doomed, Nuan groaned, rubbing her temples. His fragile male alpha ego is literally going to get us both trampled to death!
Kael finally started slowing his pace. He brought them to a halt right between a dense thicket of bushes, lowering his massive silver belly completely to the ground. Directly ahead of them, stretching out across a massive clearing, was a beautiful, sparkling lake.
Nuan processed the environment. Is it currently summer? she asked through the link.
It is the heat season... the moose choose the deep waters of the lake to avoid the insects and the scorching sun, Kael answered.
Ah, so it really is summer. Sucks for us, because moose are world-class swimmers, Nuan thought, her survival knowledge ticking away. They can dive deep under the surface and cross entire lakes in a matter of minutes if they get spooked.
Nuan looked down at her wooden spear and let out a heavy sigh. Against a hide that thick, I have exactly one hit. No second chances. Oh, right!
"Hey, Kael, let me quickly set up a pit or a snare trap! We can easily harvest it that way without taking any structural damage!" Nuan whispered frantically against his ear.
No! Today I hunt, you watch! Kael barked back in her mind, his muscles tense.
Nuan sighed, sliding carefully off his back and landing on the soft dirt. "I am intervening the absolute moment I feel like it is necessary!"
Don’t. I can hunt it alone.
"Yes, yes, I believe you, big guy, but just in case... consider me your other half today and let me help you!"
Kael opened his jaws to argue back, but his ears suddenly twitched violently. He instantly dropped his head into the dirt. Stay still.
Nuan, sitting low on the ground, peeked through the leaves without moving a single muscle. Standing right at the water’s edge was a colossal adult bull moose.
He was easily seven feet tall at the shoulders, a 1,500-pound giant of pure muscle, bone, and prehistoric fury.
In the wild, a beast like this could either be a peaceful herbivore or a lethal engine that could stomp a hunter into the dirt.
Nuan gulped, her eyes locking onto its majestic, sweeping antlers. God... a single one of those palmated antlers can easily weigh forty pounds! Fuck, if I had just set a tactical trap, I wouldn’t have felt this uncertain about taking this monster down. But out here in the open, it’s do or die if he spots us first!
The massive moose lowered its heavy head, beginning to peacefully graze on the aquatic vegetation near the lake.
The bull’s massive ears flicked constantly, swatting away biting insects.
Every few seconds, its nostrils flared as it tested the air for danger. Despite its calm appearance, Nuan could see the raw power packed into every movement. freewёbnoνel.com
One careless mistake from either hunter would turn this hunt into a disaster.
The moment its head dipped or turned toward the opposite bank, Kael began slithering forward, closing the distance as much as he could through the low brush.
But once he cleared the treeline, there were still several meters of completely open, flat land around the lake.
Nuan shifted her weight, dropping onto her good leg’s knee. She slowly lowered her head, tracking the moose’s exact visual field.
Instead of staying behind, she began closing the distance from the opposite direction of Kael, flanking the beast using the sparse cover.
Her grip on her wooden spear tightened until her knuckles turned white.
Blue Buddy, activate Silent Walk!
[ Activating Ability: Silent Walk ]
[ Countdown: 00:09:59 ]
The weightless, silent aura instantly enveloped her legs. Not a single blade of dry grass crunched under her skin skirt as she and the silver wolf began to close the deadly gap on the giant.
