the circle of life

Rannoch kicked out as his voice reached out over the beach and he began his retreat from the hyenas. His heart beat erratically in his chest as adrenaline flooded his veins while sharp teeth snapped at his ankles. A buried part of him hoped that he was leading the pack away from Kyren and Oscar, at the very least he would keep them from danger. He was the last of his kind, a biological dead end. It didn’t matter when he perished, but his comrades had long fulfilling lives ahead of them. The thoughts were barely a glimmer in a mind that was reeling, working on overdrive as the elk shifted from fight to flight and back again.

The big loping creatures weren’t as fast as Rannoch, but their stamina was hardly matchable. With the heavy rack of antler growing on his head Rannoch would swiftly tire. Already they were catching up to him. The young stag let his voice call once more, sounding the alarm as he faced what could be his last few moments. He couldn’t think about being torn apart alive, he had to focus on his hooves doing their job as he ran.

One of the more swift hyenas pulled ahead to bar his path and Rannoch was forced to stop and fight. Using his sharp hooves he reared up and began boxing at the canid’s massive head. His dinnerplate hoof came crashing down onto skull and killed the beast nearly instantly. It was enough to make his herd pause, but as Rannoch leapt over the body the chase began again. Rannoch bound over the black sand beach, only barely keeping ahead of the hyenas and already breathing hard.

He was losing stamina and hope, but that was when he saw Taiga. He veered slightly so his huge form was running towards her, something he never would have done before he met her.

"Rannoch"