I run to flank the herd. I am part of the chaos pack. I let myself feel the chaos course through me. The hunters have selected their targets and all we need to do is make as much mayhem as possible to keep the herd from being able to organise. The herd has no idea what is happening. This well-honed pack serves quickly. I enjoy running amok amongst them, snapping at heels, barking, snarling, running through the group striking out Rise and Set but with no intention to touch. We want them freaked but no need to damage any individual that might be provision later. The smell of fear and confusion is pierced by the coppery-iron scent of blood. We let the herd leave minus 4 of their number who will be passing their nutrients to Pack tomorrow Rise.

The individuals selected are not the obvious choices. Normally Pack will take weaker members of a herd to preserve provision stock and minimise damage to Pack. These individuals were hardly the most dominant of this herd, but neither were they weak or infirm.

“We’ll all eat well this Set with this as the first success of the hunting degree^.” Cries one of the provision-pack, I don’t know who. My ears are still ringing with adrenaline^ and the excitement of the chase; I’m not paying enough attention. I am ready to release again; I have more to go. The second pack of hunters hoos to the Rise. They are ready for the chaos pack. I am ready for some more. I race with Sturdy and Brazen to the next herd. They are a different species; the others leapt on four legs, had short manes and spots these use both four and two legs depending on the situation and have formidable tails.

A littersworth^ of confusion runs over the ridge with me and we run into the midst of them. I have been warned these creatures are more vicious than any World-ungulate^, but I know how good the provision is on them. I run into the herd aiming for speed rather than contact.

I’m kicked off my feet. I roll. On my feet. Run before another kick comes! It’ll bruise^. Don’t care right now. Back into the herd. Duck and dodge. Kick. Stumble but not down. I feel in my body. I nip some tails. Maximum confusion. Kick. No stumble. Ha! Ye-r no match for us. I smell blood. Packs disperse. Herd runs.

We caught a more than decent amount of provision. Broad, who can do everything and thus was in the third hunting pack saunters over, smelling spent and content. We have both needed a chance to run and forget what is happening Inside. Who would have thought amongst un-notched exiles we would have more freedom than we experience living in-Pack. But then we have more freedom than some of Pack. No, it’s too soon, I am not thinking about that right now. I wake up too many nights, even from deep-sleep, hearing screams and the wet rip of thick skin. I taste bile and swallow. Talk with Broad!

( That was an effective hunt don’t you think? )

( Yes. Even though Outside-Pack is obviously doing too much Service for too long, this was an impressive success. )

( How much of that was you and your provision-skills? ) Every hunt we have joined, the provision has been plentiful, all Outside-Pack mention it. It is even apparent Inside when we split up provision.

( Not as much as you’d think. Yes, the provision-pack is more successful when we are with it, but I think that started as an effort to impress us and has become a kind of expectation so the hunting parties are more bold and ambitious. )

( And because they believe they will succeed with us in-Pack, the greater ambition pays off. ) It is funny how quickly dogs will develop a routine and notice patterns. Well, if it gets us a bumper hunt every few twentieths^ then it seems worth it. Gentle comes alongside us. She smells as deliberate as she has done since she came Outside.

“Er… would you two be happy to… leave the provision-pack to get the roller caches back… I would appreciate ye coming to smell something.”

This is not too far from the first hunting ground we used a degree ago. It seems exposed in the weird light of the night-suns. Sitting on the patch where the largest ungulate was made provision there is a strange, smelly, soggy mess. It sort of smells like provision, but it also smells of undigested plants and fungus. We approach slowly. It smells distinctly like food but looks nothing like my understanding of provision. I smell a faint whiff of something I cannot understand.

There is a mammalian body smell. Something that could be prey… it doesn’t eat animal-provision. It was stressed. It was chronically stressed. A faint smell of sweetness. A tiny hint of something I could not name if threatened with the other side of The Wall.

“That, is vaguely familiar. I have smelled something like it before…” Broad has obviously picked up the same scent.

“It’s the tortoise.” Says Gentle, “Brazen and I have been trying to approach… to find out what it’s up to… but when you get close, you… get a headache… I recognise the scent though.” Maybe that is what she, Brazen and Trustworthy wanted to talk to us about after the hunt.

“What is this? It seems weird. Should we leave it here?” I direct the last at Broad, as our resident clandestine goings-on pack-member.

“I’m not sure. It was definitely left here. By something that was here because we were. Whether they were tracking us and accidentally left this or if they left it specifically for us is unclear. Then of course we have to consider if they left it here, was that a hostile or friendly gesture.” That’s why he never was right as a stealth-dog (my stomach swells with Pack) he thought it could be friendly. Like a QD^.

“There’s nothing that in the half-littersworth of times I have… almost interacted with it now that suggested… aggression from it. It seemed to be… attentive but not… seeking any interaction. Other individuals does complicate the situation. What if the other species have formed an alliance? And this is the beginning of an attempt to oust us? Poison us maybe?” Her deliberation is replaced with panic for a moment, then her smell returns to controlled and intentional. I am too tired to catch her panic,

“We can leave this and find out what happens next. If it was for us, then there might be another one and it doesn’t smell like it has any use to us at this time.” Suddenly, we are far from Pack. We break into a faster run than normal after over a degree of providing to catch up with the slow roller caches.