Hunting with Wolves: Finale
Location: Zion National Park, Utah. Nearly 2 hours and a half outside of Nevada.
Time: Evening, month after the HoH attack.
Stone, piss and heavy musk hit Benjamin like a brick wall. His nose screamed in pain at the intensity, but he managed to hold his lunch in. His hand-like paws covered his muzzle to block out the stench from distracting. With watery eyes and fur on end, he felt the troll’s beady eyes size him up.
His hind paw took another step to the exit.
The troll appeared to have finished its debating. It rolled its shoulders then lowered its upper body, the knuckles slammed on the ground. Everything within range rumbled from the raw power. A roar vibrated off the air while spittle and fresh meat flicked into Ben’s fur, marring the surface. Bulky muscles coiled before the troll charged forward.
Every hair bristled up in alert as Benjamin attempted to turn and flee. Pain speared through his muscles when the troll lowered its head and bite into the werewolf’s shoulder. Over half his upper torso fit into the behemoth’s mouth causing the younger wolf to grit his teeth in pain. His hind legs started to leave the ground. From the side of his vision, Benjamin spotted the troll’s arm rising to try and seize his lower half. In his panic, he jerked his lower half upward to tear himself free. His head whipped and tried to sink his teeth into the mountain troll’s nearest eye.
Startled, the troll dropped Benjamin. Before he could land on his feet, the troll’s right hand swiped at him in midair. The force sent him flying into the nearby wall. His arm bent at an angle and snapped on impact. Benjamin collapsed into a heap where he landed.
Breathing heavily, he struggled upright once more. He looked a complete mess. Blood matted his left shoulder where the troll had bitten him and his right arm pressed close to his chest, crippling his mobility in this fight.
His growl ended in a sharp snap of his teeth. A warning to back off or he will protect himself, but the display fell on blind eyes. The troll went to smackdown its palm to crush him. With the muscles gradually knitting during the fight, Benjamin rushed into the wide gap between the legs. He twisted in mid-leaped then swiped out with his good hand at the nearest ankle. Flesh split and blood spilled out, staining his claws red.
Benjamin skidded to a stop a few feet away. He rose up on his hind legs as he smirked in satisfaction upon spotting his work.
Enraged by the inflicted wound, the troll shifted around to face him. Its good leg lifted then kicked out at Ben, the largest toe caught him on the head. It knocked him on his ass. A little dazed, his mind screamed for him to get up through the daze. The larger threat began to loom over him, catching the werewolf in its shadows as it raised an arm to smack down again.
A dark shape jumped from the cavern’s open top, landing on the troll’s back. It was Duff. The salt and pepper furred werewolf’s teeth sank into the shoulder, but he couldn’t break past the hide. With a swift jerk, Duff was tossed off to land near his pack mate.
They exchanged a glance. Their noses quickly exchanged information over each other’s condition as Duff scoffed in irritation. His golden eyes snapped back to the troll with bared teeth and a snarl.
As Ben continued to heal the worst of his wounds, Duff darted to the left of the troll. His maw opened and nipped the troll’s heel, nearly touching the skin. The dumb creature growled then turned about. Its trunk-like legs shuffled over the gravel and small rocks, powdering them into dust from its weight. With its back turned, Duff darted in for another nip. This time the troll slammed down its arm to pin the werewolf.
When the dust cleared, nothing was underneath. Duff pounced out of the haze onto the hand and tore into it. Feeling the pain, the troll’s other hand swatted Duff away. Duff managed to land on his feet, but not undamaged. A few ribs had been fractured from the force used to swat the older wolf off.
Meanwhile, Ben jerked his arm out and snapped it back into place. His muscles and bones began to fuse back together once more.
Frustrated at its denial of a meal, the troll bellowed again. His fury was fed by pain and blood, but the wolves didn’t care. Their own pack mentality drove them to protect each other. They continued the assault.
The troll snapped its maw at Ben’s movement to its side. The tusks nicked his side leaving behind a red line. Duff took the opportunity to pounce on the troll’s head, his teeth ripped off an ear and slashed down on the troll’s eye. The damage done, he kicked off to land a few feet out of reach. When the troll rose upright, Benjamin went in for another attack at the ankle. His teeth latched into the exposed wound then widened it with another slash. The troll tried to counter by sweeping its large arm to catch him, but Ben evaded the attack. He made it underneath the troll’s torso where he hid.
Confused to where Benjamin went, the troll shuffled about to at its side and behind it. Seeing no other wolf, its attention fixed on the remaining wolf. Duff continued to growl. The troll snorted then swung its right arm at the wolf’s side. The strike clipped his head, but his fangs managed to rip at the flesh along the way.
Seeing Duff being attacking, Benjamin went for the elbow. His claws found the joint, but the troll began to raise up its wounded arm. It realized where Benjamin was hiding. Seeing the younger wolf exposed, Duff barked then nipped at the troll’s heels again finding purchase.
When it felt Duff’s jaws latched on, the troll kicked back into the older wolf’s face. Ben heard the bone-crunching as Duff’s snout broke under the pressure. The older wolf howled and retreated, face bloodied by the impact. The troll turned about to swing at him. Its strike caught Duff’s side and sent him skidding across the ground a short distance.
Ben noticed the troll’s movements were sluggish. The fight was taking its toll on the creature as it began to fight in desperation to survive. When he heard Duff’s bone break, his lips curled back and he rushed at the troll. He scaled the troll’s back then bit down on the area connected to the head, his claws dug in for a grip. The troll roared in fresh pain as its arms swung to rip Ben off. The right hand tightened about his waist then flung him into the ground. The grip still held tightly, the troll then lifted and whipped his broken body to the other side.
Duff rushed at the wrist and slashed deep enough to cause the troll to drop Benjamin.
Irritated at Duff’s damaging attacks, it backhanded the older wolf away. Duff flipped backward and landed on his feet before he went back at the troll. The last thing it saw was the flash of fangs before Duff tore out its throat. Blood splattered across both wolves as the giant creature toppled onto its side, dead.
When the dust settled down, Duff looked over at Benjamin’s heavily breathing body. The younger wolf rolled his eyes before he weakly pushed himself up. His right side gave out from under him causing him to nearly crumble. Instantly Duff moved in beside him and leaned in to provide support. Together the pair limped toward the truck where they could lick their wounds then rest for the night.