A Drizzle of Home

7 | A Drizzle of Fear

Fear was everywhere.

The pungent odor wrapped its sharpened claws around my throat. Winding tendrils crept up my nose, curling around my airways and piercing my nostrils with fang-like thorns. A single chill crawled slowly down my spine, and in its wake, a line of wiry fur stood tall and cowardly. Panicked yelps filled my ears, while pounding heartbeats pressed against my sides. Their voices called out for the safe, sweet scent of our mother. It was nowhere to be found.

We flattened our bodies against the farthest damp and earthy wall, nothing more than pale blurs in the dimly-lit corner of our narrow den. Several sun beams trickled in from outside, but their brilliance formed only a small circle of light at the base of the tunnel. Now, a dark silhouette tainted even that, a shadow cast by the towering beast standing in the threshold of our home.

Death took the form of hissing teeth and narrowed eyes. Even through the darkness, they pierced our bodies with a shining glare. A young wolf held the ground between us, lips bared to reveal her own glinting, ivory weapons. Though she seemed brave now, her scent told no lies. Fear danced in the air around her ashen pelt, but she didn't dare show it in the way she stood. Ears erect and tail high, she would fight with courage, no matter how shameless her sharp-clawed foe.

The tan-furred beast towered over her, more than twice her size, and looked down at the mere pup with a wicked feline smile. He let out a low yowl, lowering his forequarters to the cold, earthen floor. The wolf did the same, and a single snarl served as the signal for their battle to begin.

Her pale paws tread the small area in front of us, a slow back and forth. You won't touch them. She spoke with raised hackles instead of words. Her resolve rippled down the fur of her arched spine. You'll have to kill me first.

The cold-blooded cat had no objections, quickly growing impatient with actionless threats. With a twitch of his tail, he barreled towards his foe on thundering bounds. The wolf dodged quickly, taking advantage of her small form and light feet. She leapt to the brute's side, and before he could recoil, she pushed off the floor with her hind paws.

As she soared over his withers, her teeth caught hold of the loose flesh on the back of his neck. The wolf latched tightly onto his scruff and the beast beneath her began to struggle. A fit of jerking and bouncing ensued, the feline flailing in the air as he failed to remove his passenger. After a few futile efforts to break her hold, the cat flung itself toward the nearest wall. Anticipating the move, the wolf released her jaws before she could be pinned. She gracefully met the ground, claws skidding in the earth. Her lips pulled back in a snarl, and her jaw jutted outward to reveal jagged rows of dripping crimson.

She spat the blood from her mouth and faced her opponent once more. A sickening, metallic smell joined the cacophony of scents that curled my nose in disgust. 

The feline picked himself up, locking his fierce moon-sliver pupils on the wolf's heart. He no longer underestimated the skill of his juvenile foe. A cautious prowl replaced his hasty tactic, and he slowly crept closer to her and the stone wall that blocked our escape. But the canine wouldn't be cornered. Instead, it was her turn to charge. She raced toward him, her focus locked on his throat. The sudden attack caught the brute unawares, but he still had time to raise a paw in defense. Steering clear of its deadly claws, the wolf averted her course in a quick dive to the side, but it still wasn't fast enough to match the feline's reflexes.

A flash of tan grazed her hindquarters as she soared by, throwing off her landing. Her legs buckled as she reached the ground, and she crashed face-first into the cold, hardened floor. With more blood seeping from her jowls, her own this time, the pup picked herself up and shook the pain from her muzzle. Sparing a glance at the jagged scratches her rump now bore, she lifted her nose to the gaze of her rival. She beckoned him closer with a determined glare.