{FOV} Overcoming Fears - Cren

The wild hills were snowed over and covered in wide evergreen conifers, topped with a chilling wind that cut through to the bark below the needles. Cren stood here, at the cliffs, mane whipping with the gale. A calf was below her - a calf surrounded by wolves, like she had once been. She knew there was only one way to save the calf, bleating in fear and cowering in the middle of the circling wolves.

She had to face her fears, and scare them off. She had to battle through the terror that threatened to crash through her body like a tidal wave, and fight the wolves. Clipping her way down the cliffside, Cren made her way to the pack surrounding the calf. Once she was close enough, she called out. "Hey! Dog-butts!" The wolves’ ears swiveled and perked, and a few of the five broke away, trotting over.

"What do you want, branch-head? The leader growled, his teeth showing and hackles raised. Cren huffed. She was easily taller than the three wolves who stood below her, but they were many and she was few.

She stomped a hoof down, frowning at the canines. “I want that calf.” The small rukaan looked up, trembling and held captive by two other wolves, little gold hooves gleaming in the sun reflected off of the snow. Her eyes were big with fear, but they grew hopeful seeing Cren’s vivid red coat, steam coming from her muzzle as she spoke with the wolf pack.

“You want our dinner?” The alpha pinned his ears back, anger showing in his bared teeth and narrowed eyes. “You’ll have to fight us for her, you twig.” He barked, and his fellows gathered around him, snapping their jaws, spit flying. They encroached in a circle around Cren, advancing slowly. It brought the Rukaan back to the fear of her childhood, the pack she escaped alone, by running and running…and running.

She didn’t freeze up or run this time. Instead, she kicked out, hitting a wolf behind her, hearing them yelp in pain. She lowered her head with a snort, charging forward and bashing into the circle of wolves caging her, knocking them aside with strong silver antlers. They growled and barked and yipped, gnashing and flashing sharp canines at the Rukaan, dodging when she threw her hooves out to kick them away from the calf.

The last two still standing had managed to not get hit, and now they stood together - shoulder to shoulder, bristling. Saliva dripped from yellowed fangs, and the trio stood off for a moment, snow reflecting back and bouncing off of the silver of Cren's antlers and hooves.

They came at her, darting to her sides, so that she was forced to deal with one at a time. Angling her head quickly, Cren managed to knock away the wolf to her left, but immediately after, the one to her right snagged a mouthful of her mane, tugging her head down and away. She grunted, and wildly kicked out, hoping to catch one of her attackers when they least expected it.

It worked, and she heard a wolf Yelp and scamper away. The last wolf growled, and finally noticed he was alone. He narrowed his eyes, and stared Cren down for a long moment, then loped away to the rest of his pack, limping their way along the snowy ridge. Cren took a deep breath, and then turned to the calf, still shivering. She herded the calf away to a warmer cave, and curled around her, safe and sound, away from the pack Cren was no longer afraid of.