She was covering a nest on the riverbank when she noticed the large cougar stalking her. She was with pup, and knew she could not fight a winning battle against the cat; but she couldn't bring herself to leave the small gosling between her paws. As the cat crept closer, She closed her eyes. Would this be how it ended? She heard the earth move as the cougar pounced, felt the vibrations through the sand..
One bound..
two..
it would be on her in two more leaps..
but she couldn't move.. couldn't make herself move an inch as her anxiety crept over her. She struggled to breathe and breathed too quickly all at once.
If she moved, the bird would die, if she didn't she would die..
a third bound..
it's too late to move now.
She steeled herself, braced for the impact.
One heartbeat passed.
Two.
Instead of an impact on her, she felt the impact in of two bodies colliding in the air followed by them being thrown into the dirt next two her. Her eyes jolted open as they went end over end, the cat screaming wildly and flailing at the large wolf that had latched onto it's neck. They rolled, clashing with one another on the sand; blood and sand spitting and piercing the air with the battle cries of both creatures. As seconds dragged into what felt like a lifetime, eventually a sickening crack filled the air. One of the bodies jerked, kicking it's hind legs once more before falling eerily still.
It's coming now... I'm going to die.. she thought as the cat's killer slowly stood up.
He'll kill me for sure now.. She flattened her ears, whimpering as she moved to shield the nest from view. She expected the large wolf to lunge at her.. issue a growl... bite her.. steal the nest.. darker thoughts crept into her mind.
Instead. he laid down next to the body and watched her curiously. He didn't move, other than to pant softly for a few moments before laying his head on his paws quietly.
Normally, she would have found it unnerving, but his presence instead filled the space around her with a quiet peace. In fact, she felt some of her anxiety being lulled into a sense of safety. The two laid close together for some time, bonding through the silence until it was broken by the noise of the geese returning to their nest.
Yes, the geese were very surprised to find two wolves and a dead cougar over at their nesting spot; none too happy either as they drove both wolves away.
She sat and watched quietly from a distance as the gosling hopped out and happily joined its family in the river, sticking close to them. She felt the male sit next to her, watching as well until the geese disappeared from view. After they did, he turned to leave, but only took a few steps before looking back, "...Shall we take our leave?"
She nodded, lifting herself to follow him, a Torrent sweeping her down the River bank...
Upon reaching the Mines she was greeted by the gaze of a wolf whose presence was serene and her coat shimmering like it was touched by the blue sky. At first, she was unsure of this new wolf, and quickly lowered her head, tucking her tail between her legs as the male rubbed his head against this new females.
"Where did you find this one?" the blue female inquired as she looked her over, noticing the roundness of her belly.
The male looked back at her, wagging his tail gently, "By the river bank. She's kind and very gentle.. I believe she'd like the pups.."
The blue female stood, gently padding over to her and nuzzling her muzzle gently. "Then we shall call you Rivera, for it means the River bank. Come, let us choose a good den for you in the tunnels. You're part of our family now and we will provide you with food, shelter and safety for your pups."
