Serpent Lake to the town of agua fria rode a stranger one fine day

Pebbles and dust alike were kicked up in the wake of the pronghorns, prompting Alyx to trail a little behind, lest she take something nasty to the face. She laughed carelessly at the way the trio fled. She was only one wolf! How gratifying it was, to be capable of scaring off a group of prey by her lonesome.

Alyx planned to chase them right to the caldera, if they would go so far, but she threw the brakes on when one of the pronghorns ricocheted off something in the reeds and stumbled. Something dark and distinctly not a pronghorn. Something with triangular ears and a long snout that collapsed into the mud while the pronghorns fled. Oh, shit, she gasped, skidding on the wet ground and, for once, not squealing at the feeling of mud between her toes.

She wanted to rush right over and help, but suspected that her unwilling victim might be just a little bit peeved about this turn of events. Without yet realizing exactly who she'd thrown under the pronghorn, she padded closer, but paused at a healthy distance in case they decided to take revenge. I'm so, so, so sorry! Are you okay?