Blacktail Deer Plateau Don't let the sun outshine you

With a young girl's fur at stake, Goldhawk was focussed entirely on the battle at paw. Oh sure it wasn't a horde of coyotes storming down from the hills or a family of wildcats seething in from the mountains, but all a warrior needed for a good fight was a good cause. And one scrap of this beauty's lovely form was worth more than he could say. He wouldn't let the snake anywhere near her, and nor would he let it scare or taunt her.

For the briefest moment it almost seemed as if he were hypnotised by the snake, for when it finally caught his eyes he went still and silent, but his golden body was low and poised like a slinking tiger. Then both wolf and serpent moved at exactly the same time. The rattled snake moved to bite his paw, and Goldhawk moved his paw swiftly and in one manoeuvre grabbed the snake by the back of its head.

Its face still stuck out from the side of his mouth, hissing furiously, but Goldhawk held it tight. And did not crush it. For whatever reason, he felt in his heart that the forest maiden would begrudge him a senseless kill.