Find That Yeti! (Weekly Quest)

    “Stupid kids.” Drift grumbled as he stroked one of Sabathiel’s ears. The skinwalker had heard from one of his fellow tribe members that a bunch of teens attempted a prank on one of the local breeding pens. They ended up scaring some of the pups so much that they broke the fence and escaped. The kids had been apprehended and were facing the music but there was still a mess to be cleaned up. The breeders sent out for help to rebuild the fence and, more importantly, located and herd back the three pups that escaped.

    Drift thought he and his Tokotas would be better suited to tracking the pups, so he volunteered to look for them. He could have worked in a team with some of the other searchers, but he felt like they may way he and his Tokos down. Plus he’s a bit antisocial. Still being new to the tribe, he hadn’t made any friends yet. Although he’d met many nice handlers so far. But for now he prefers to work with just his Tokotas.

    For the search, he brought his tawny dun Sabathiel, his marked seal Domiel, and his greying tundra Nanael. The latter had insisted on coming along so she could help calm the pups. She had also asked to be shown to the teenagers responsible so she could ‘wrought justice’ but Drift just patted her neck and fed her a treat. She’d calmed down after that. Drift recruited Domiel and Sabathiel because he knew Sabathiel was good with pups and Domiel could assert his dominance and show some tough love if the pups didn’t come back with them.

    Drift set up the last part of Sabathiel’s tack and patted the tawny toko’s rump. “All set.” He’d packed some treats in Sabathiel’s saddlebags, which is the only reason he bothered to put the tack on him. He wasn’t planning on riding any of his Tokotas today, rather he was going to search for the pups in his wolf form. His nose was sharper and he’d have a better time tracking the pups as a wolf so it was an easy decision. Besides, it’s been awhile since he ran with his Tokotas.

    The wind whipping through your fur and the powerful sound of Tokotas galloping alongside you is a truly beautiful feeling. With just a flick of his tail, Drift can direct his pack to change course, jump, slow down, and even speed up. They follow his lead and trust him completely. It warms his heart to see these large, magnificent animals look to him for guidance. It’s just amazing.

    Drift suddenly felt something nose at his back and he looked behind him to see Nanael’s grey marked face staring at him expectantly. She huffed impatiently and looked at him with piercing blue eyes. The blond man pet her head, ruffling her the long tufts of fur atop her head, and gave her a small smile. “I know, sorry. Let’s get going.” He stroked her fur a moment longer and then turned around, taking a few steps forward to be ahead of his three Tokotas.

    His fake tail swished with his movements and suddenly lifted up. It twitched for a moment, moving like a real tail. His body began to change, it was an incredibly fast process. His bones shifting, skin and muscle molding to the new shape. Bones formed, others disappeared. Fur sprouted from his skin, guard hairs and soft inner hairs. In an instant the man became a wolf.

    Changing forms was like changing clothes, it took a moment of fumbling but quickly became comfortable again. His senses became clearer and less muddled, and his body felt lighter than before. He shrugged his cloak off his back, letting it fall to the lightly snow covered grass. Picking it up with his teeth, lovely little incisors with long canines and sharp molars. Perfect for biting, shearing, and tearing.

    Nevermind that, it’s not time to go hunting. It’s time to find some pups. The now blond wolf hefted himself up to stand on his hind legs, rooting his forepaws to Sabathiel’s side for support, and used his muzzle to stuff the cloak in one of the open saddlebags. He did his best to close the flap and then pushed off from his Tokota to stand on all fours again. He trotted forward, lifting his head into the air and taking a long whiff.

    Tuning out the scent of Domiel, Sabathiel, and Nanael, Drift tried to pinpoint the smell of a yeti pup. He had decided to search for that pup first since it was known to be fond of sheep. If he couldn’t locate the yeti’s scent, then he could at least find a flock of sheep and search for the pup there. His nose twitched and was filled with a slightly familiar smell. It was the yeti pup.

    His tokos seemed to have caught the scent too, as they got into the running formation. Sabathiel and Domiel on either side of Drift with Nanael right behind him. The seal Tokota looked down at him and chuffed, “What’s the plan?”

    “Find him, cut him off from the herd, and convince him to come back with us. If he resists, we’ll have to chase him back to the breeder’s pen. But that’s our last resort.” Drift responded calmly, thinking it over in his head before looking back at Nanael. “Can you go try to talk some sense into him first?”

    The greying tundra nodded. “Of course.”

    “And I can try to talk to him if he doesn’t listen to Nanae, right?” Sabathiel interjected, bounding close to Drift’s side. His tail lifted, wagging excitedly. Drift couldn’t help but laugh, his Tokota’s eagerness to help was adorable.

    “Sure, just don’t be too… wild, alright?” Sabathiel nodded vigorously, his tongue hanging out of his mouth as he panted happily.

    “Let’s go.” Domiel barked, sounding a bit impatient. Drift looked over at him and nodded. With a flick of his tail, the Tokotas went back into formation. Drift then started forward in a quick trot.

    Snow crunched under paws as the Tokotas followed suit. They went at a slower pace, as their lope was longer than Drifts and they could easily out run him. Drift gained speed, his trot transforming into a sprint. He kept his nose on the yeti’s scent and let it direct where he ran. Careful to not run into trees or boulders.

    They ran through the woods, squeezing through narrow paths and leaping over fallen logs. The scent took them around a river and through a field until they reached a farm located in a valley. The area was strangely untouched by the usual light blanketing of snow, with high green grass and a few trees spotting around the area.

    The sheep were roaming around the valley freely, probably because the grass in the valley was nutritious and good for them. Drift and his Tokotas approached the flock, the Tokotas splitting up to search for the brown pup.

    It took a while but they managed to cut through the herd and found the tawny yeti pup. Nanael approached him calmly and managed to coerce the pup to follow them back to the pen. It was a successful find and Drift and his Tokotas head back to the hut after returning the yeti back to the breeders.