Nimble paws danced over the top of the rocks as Halcyon galloped towards the sound of the chaos. The first thing to reach his ears were the furious flapping of wings, then came the smalls whimpers of a pup. The light of the stars was all he needed to see the large owl attacking something small and without wasting any time he bolted into action. The boy was only a child himself. The winter coming was only his second and he was hardly any bigger than the youngster laying at the mercy of the owl. That wasn’t going to stop him. His father’s courage and warriors blood coursing through his veins. An owl was not going to stop him from defending the girl.

With a sharp bark, Halcyon lunged at the predator. His teeth snapped on air as the bird took flight and easily dodged out of the way. This gave the russet wolf time to stand over the girl as a living shield. Turning his ears towards her for a moment, he could hear her breathing quickly as shock took over her body. Well, she was alive but he didn’t have time to check her wounds. The angry beast was coming back for a second round, hoping to do to Hal what she had already done to the smaller pup. A snarl oozed from his throat as he bared his teeth, his hackles rising to make him seem bigger than he actually was. The talons were poised to attack but before they could do anything to him, Hal was able to grab one of her toes. She screeched in pain and shock and flapped her wings in the wolf’s face, beating him relentlessly until his nose was bloodied. He let go and she sailed away, thinking it best to keep her remaining talons undamaged so she could continue to hunt for her young.

For a few tense minutes, Halcyon continue to stand over the fallen girl until he was sure it was safe. Then he moved and stood next to her, carefully nudging her side to snap her out of the shock. The lone male was no healer and all he could do for her scratched forehead was gently lick the blood away from her white fur. He laid next to her, their pelts blending together, and tried to keep her warm in the chilly night. ”Hey, are you ok? Can you move? I have a den nearby we can go to. I don’t want to be here if something worse than a pissed owl comes.”