Amira checked the wind and realized the girls would be upwind of the hunters. She sensed no dogs, which was good. There was no chance humans could ever track her daughters' scents. She needed to lead whoever it was coming her way far from the girls and her house.
The men were headed up the ridge and she saw they were armed with swords and bows. One of them pointed her direction and the others looked up. She dropped to the ground and hid her packs under a thick bush. She would come back for them later when the danger was gone.
Seconds later she heard the sounds of these would-be hunters pick up the pace. Instantly, she transformed into a wolf and ran into the meadow to get their attention. She reversed and ran east toward the valley mouth as fast as she could go. She heard the men yelling something as they changed direction to match her movements. They had taken the bait and were coming after her.
She paced herself so they wouldn't give up the chase too soon, intending to lead them out of the valley and lose them or they simply gave up and left.
Running a mile or so, she came to a small stream that drained into the creek that meandered through the valley. She stopped at the water's edge checking back over her shoulder for her pursuers. They were not too far off and still coming her way. Hopping over the stream, she continued down to the valley floor.
Nearing the remnants of the road that traced its way up the valley, Amira stopped at the tree-line, scenting for danger. She heard more voices. They were very close and coming up the road, just a stone's throw away. With hunters in pursuit and these new intruders ahead, she felt trapped and almost panicked. She went directly from wolf to brown bear and charged out onto the road, snarling and roaring a challenge to this new threat.
