Whitebark Stream I'm swept up by the shape of all the centuries

The sound of thundering hooves crunched against the snow, filling the air. Her trained eye locked onto the injured doe's form, who sure enough, once separate from her group, made a retreat to the tree line. That was their signal. As Artyom broke forward, followed by Daylily, Chai found herself instinctually following suit. As she burst from the cover of the trees, her heart leapt into her throat momentarily. Old thoughts came back to haunt her. Old fears...the bitter taste of anxiety. What if she somehow screwed this up too, like everyone in her family predicted she would, as in any effort? They always had so little faith in her. Had shut her down before she even got a chance.

She couldn't fight that inner battle now. As Daylily was struck with a glancing blow of a hoof, her pale eyes widened in momentary alarm. The female seemed unharmed, fortunate for her, holding on tenaciously. Managing no more than a crinkle of her lips, Chai darted left, open jaws targeting the soft belly. Angling her body away from the kicking legs, she clamped down hard, tearing deep through skin and muscle. A little more of that would disembowel the doe; a mercifully swift end to this battle.