Gruff Billy Goats

“Nat, we need to get them to stand still. I need a head count.” I laughed as I tried to move myself somehow to keep our of the tokotas way. I couldn’t believe I was still like this. Again. Kyron lay beside me, chewing on a bone while Tonka dozed on my other side. The large dire was more than content to just stand there for the time being as I tried to round up the stray tokotas running around for our hunting trip. I was going alone with the six overgrown puppies, but Natalia had taken pity on me, and was trying to help me get everyone sorted out. “Just be glad they already have collars on ‘em.” She called back from somewhere within the writhing mass of fur in legs. I finally snapped, grabbing the nearest fur I could, searching for a collar before pulling it away. “And our first pick is. Drum roll please. Baron.” I dragged the greying brown male out of the pack, getting him to lay down beside Tonka. The large dire chuffed at the male, shaking his mane before settling his head back on his paws. The others calmed down a bit afterwards. “Seems to me you found the culprit.” Nat laughed, before waving goodbye and walking back towards the tribe’s camp. “Okay everyone, this is going to be fun.” I whistled to Kyron as I climbed onto Tonka’s back. He was much happier pulling our sled, but sleds and mountains didn’t generally function too well. I started off with Tonka, Kyron falling into step beside us. We were at the camps perimeter when I whistled to the rest pf the pack, the other four jumping up and running to meet up with us as I pushed Tonka into a steady run and we made our war towards the mountains. The ride was nice, I was staying at the southern camp and the mountains made for a nice little day trip. We were only a few hours away at most on a bad day, and with me riding Tonka today, we made the trip inn efficient manner. I stopped at the mountains base, courting heads to make sure everyone was there. I still had the barbary and the sphinx in tow, and that was mainly what mattered. Both were valuable to be snatched up if they got separated from the pack we were travelling in. I turned around, digging in a bag for my binoculars, I wasn’t going to be in the hunt, rather just going to watch from afar. “Alright ladies and gents. Go hunt.” The five tokotas took off together, snarls and barks sounding as they made way of who was the pack leader for the day. It ended with Baron running the front, Gale and Kyron following him, and Amara and Earnie picking up their flanks. The group was well rounded and giving them a head start, I walked Tonka into the trees at the base, using my binoculars to track the pack through the trees. Thankfully they weren’t awfully dense, and Tonka picked up a steady trot, doing a good job of keeping me close enough to watch but not to disturb their hunt. Not that it would have made much difference. I watched as the five tokotas flicked their tails, and twitched ears, silently maneuvering through the forest and towards the mountains. I must have trailed them for an hour before something in their behavior changed. “They got something.” I hadn’t noticed I’d said anything aloud until Tonka, tensed under me.  I urged Tonka on, allowing him to lose the distance between the hunters and us. We were just on the other side of a shrub line when I saw the tokotas advancing on a mountain goat, trying to scale a narrow and steep pass up the mountain side. It tried to escape for a few moments, before changing tactics. “Ah crap.” The goat began to charge the tokotas, getting the first few blows in by chance. It didn’t take them long to notice afterwards just what was going on, the five working together to antagonize the animal, a few baiting it whilst one of the others pawed at it, cuts starting to seep blood out of its flank. I let the sick routine go on for a bit, intervening when I could see if was becoming a game to them. “Kill it.” I called as Tonka emerged from the behind the shrubs. The goat froze at my voice, Amara taking the opportunity to go in for the kill, swinging the now limp goat in her mouth. “Drop it.” I asked, sliding off Tonka and walking towards the kill. “A bit more, and you guys would have ruined this pelt.” The five hunters sat back, watching as they panted, exhausted from the run. I whistled to Tonka, the dire coming and laying down beside me. “Earnie, get.” I called the sphinx over, getting him to help me swing the dead goat over the dire’s back. It was decent enough in size. The pelt was somewhat ruined, the flanks full of holes. It wouldn’t be much good for clothes, but smaller items it would do just fine. I walked over to my make shift pack, looking them all over, making sure no injuries had occurred. “Well, we look good.” I walked back over to Tonka, climbing onto his pack, and lashed the goat down tight. I got him to stand up, looking down at my small pack of misfits. They came in all colours, mane types not mattering to me. I had been given the chance to bring most of them out for the day, and just having them here made me happy. I let them rest for a few moments before nudging Tonka awake, walking back towards the way we’d come from. “Come on everyone. We’re going home.” I got a few purrs at that, the five of them running up ahead of me as we made our way back to camp. I slowed to a walk as we came out of the trees, the tokotas running free on the tundra. “This is hunting Tonka. We’re they find their kill and let it not worry them whatsoever.” He chuffed in agreement, and we walked most of the way home. I checked the goat a few times, shaking my head at the mess they’d made of it. I should have stepped in sooner, I thought. But it didn’t matter. We needed the meat more than the pelt, that was just an added bonus. And the damage wasn’t enough to ruin the meat. They ran faster as we neared the camp, people gathering to welcome home the successful hunters back into the little village of tents. “Isn’t this just nice Tonka. This is what everyone should feel when they come home.” I vaulted off his back. He nudged me when I fell, and laughing I ran back into the village, Tonka keeping pace with me and a leisurely trot. “Alice, what you catch.” Nat asked as she pushed through the crowd, hugging me as she reached me. “We got a goat, pretty decent size, they messed up the flanks tho.” She laughed as Tonka lay down beside me, the bloody mess of a goat still strapped to his back. “Their tokotas, what do you expect. And they were wild run. Did you really expect anything less?” She laughed with me as we walked into the tribe towards the area where we cleaned out furs and meat, Tonka following loyally behind me.