Hot Pursuit

Written for the Daily Flash Fiction Challenge with a word limit of 300.

The prompts: This story must contain the words: stumble, nose, grass

Hot Pursuit

Daisy pushed her nose through the tall grass. Her Alpha was gripped with a sense of urgency. She picked up on this as if he had whispered it into her ear.Find the little one. There is not a moment to spare.

The scent was strong and fresh. Her mind processed the olfactory information easily. There was fear mixed in with sweat and blood. And … there was something more. She wondered briefly if her Alpha understood this. There was a male; one sick in his mind.

The Bloodhound raised her head and sprinted forward. They were close enough that the scent still hung in the air. She stopped briefly to examine a trampled down area. They must have stumbled here and fallen. The strong scent gave her welcomed information. The young one still had the smell of life about her. Daisy flew ahead of her Master, her Alpha. 

She could hear the rest of the pack as they slowly fell back. None could match her for speed and endurance. That included the chased. The man was growing tired. His stride was uneven and his fear smell was beginning to override the girl’s.

Soon, her eyes told her what her nose already knew. The girl had been dropped. Daisy licked the tiny face. She felt the fear ease into a feeling of relief. The dog stood guard for another two long minutes as she waited for the rest of the pack.

Her Alpha was with them. He let others tend to the girl while he came to heap praise on Daisy. While she welcomed it with an excited wag of her tail, she knew there was more work to do.

He knew it as well. He looked into the distant wooded area. “Get him girl.” She flew like the wind.