Rao's body didn't change back to animal form a shape shifter typically did after death.
To Rudra, it was a new information. That the shapeshifters were evolving.
To others it meant very different thing. The thought - which nobody wanted to say aloud - that Rao was not the shape shifter at all. That would mean the Prince had murdered one of his own in cold blood.
Rudra had climbed down from his horse to walk around the corpse. "How could you tell, Your Highness?" Kesh asked, his voice tight. "The scream was different," Rudra said absent mindedly. He noticed the blood, too dark to belong to a human.
The wet soil and grass was soaking in the blood too fast. It would be difficult to track the shape shifters in this weather.
"I don't see Rao anywhere!" Sidh, who had claimed on a nearby tall tree, "Should we spread out?" "No," Rudra ordered, "We stick together.'' he paused and then added, "Climb down and search the ground inch by inch. I believe there could be a tunnel or hole where they hid Rao.''
He leaned down and touched the shape shifter. The body was still human. Aside from the blood, one could easily mistake it to be a person. It's human form was still holding, "Have this one sent to Saroth. He must find out how are they holding the form for so long," he stood up, "Prit, Taz, Lohan. One will take the front, one will be in charge of the body and one will protect the back. All will have eyes on eachother."
Nobody protested.
"This thing killed Rao, wore his clothes and painted it's face with blood in span of few minutes," Rudra continued, "Do not let your guard down."
Prit, Lohan and Taz did as they were told. The youngests of the crew wrapped the shape shifter's body and hauled up on one of the horses. They tied it firmly on the horse's back. The animal looked nervous, nostril flaring, hooves impatiently hitting the ground.
Rudra smiled- Smart boy- he thought to himself as he looked at the horse. It probably could smell that the body on it's back was not that of a human.
Rudra didn't stay behind to watch the three of the hunters leave, he started investigating the area himself. From the corner of his eyes he could see Kesh and Sidh exchanging a glance between them before they followed Rudra.
They didn't trust Rudra. Not even now.
Dhaman and Mehta took the front. The four hunters consistently kept Rudra in the middle no matter how treacherous the terrain became. The jungle in this part of Ashkavar was deep. Untended. Ravaan liked it that way- a place where nature could take the reign any way it wanted. This area was restricted from ordinary citizens. Even ordinary soldiers didn't come here. Rudra did. But only sometimes.
"Any of you love to take his horse out here?" Rudra asked, "Atleast enough time to know this land?"
Nobody answered for several seconds. Then Kesh informed, "Rao did. He knew his way around here."
"How convenient he was taken first," Rudra muttered.
Not very far, they heard a dog barking. Everyone froze. "How far is the dog pen?" Asked Rudra again. "Far enough that none of them should be here," Sidh's voice shook slightly, "Is that a shape shifter, Your Highness?" Rudra shook his head, ''Those are real dogs."
Somehow, the news didn't make anyone even a little relieved. All four of them hesitated and only moved when Rudra did. The trees started closing in, until walking looked more logical than riding. They got down from the horses again but Rudra didn't order to leave the horses behind.
Leaving any living being behind was now practically providing fodder to the enemy to crush them.
The barking of the dogs got louder. The hunters pulled the horses by their reins as they walked further towards the sound.
Suddenly a sharp noise cut through the barking of the dogs. Rudra felt it more than he actually heard it- like an ache behind his ears. He had heard it before during hunting completions.
The horses heard it too. They became more restless. Their ears rotate to the direction the sound was coming from. They shifted from feet to feet, eyes widening.
"What is happening," Kesh asked, even though he could not hear the sound, he felt the horses getting nervous.
"Dog whistle," Replied Rudra.
As if to the cue, the dogs stopped barking suddenly becoming awfully quiet. "Off the ground!" Kesh ordered, "Now!"
"N-"
But before Rudra could protest the other hunters scattered. Frantically they started climbing trees.
Only Rudra remained calm, watching the horses dashing away as their masters abandoned them. What a disappointment.
The whistle hadn't even faded when the underbrush began to shiver. Then came the sound of paws, dozens of them, pounding on earth, in a fast, trained, rythm. Somewhere a bark cut through the trees, eager, like a wolf which had found its prey. It was answered by another bark from another direction. Then another quick another. Then another.
Like the entire forest was barking back and forth.
Somewhere faraway a horse gave out a panicked scream before the last of them disappeared behind the thick lining of trees.
But Rudra didn't move. The dogs weren't the real threat. They were distraction. He could tell.
The jungle here smelled wrong. Like rotten meat and metallic smell of blood. It's faint. Very faint. But it's there. He lifted his nose, ignoring the dogs closing in. He sniffs the air.
There. A cloying stench like a piece of meat left under the sun too long- warm and wet. He took a step.
But before he could follow the smell, he was surrounded.
Black eyes, white teeth, red tongue flickering out now and then. The nearest hound crouched low - not in submission - but to pounce. It peeled it's lips back from its gum. A guttaral growl escaped it's throat which was accompanied by another.
It dawned on Rudra the dogs weren't planning to attack one by one but together.
A solid wall of rumbling sound and teeth snapping surrounded him from all direction.
And then the dogs jumped.