fa'liya startled at the clash—a mother's fury meeting her father’s weight, . Her paws shuffled to lengthen the distance from them, instinct clawing at her belly to stay away. the cow was a storm of legs and sharpened crowns, dangerous in ways she wasn’t yet built to face.

but the calf would stumble without its mother’s shield, she knew, and the cow was too busy with father to lunge for her. fa'liya’s breath hitched, and she saw this for what it could be: an opportunity.

she darted forward, low to the ground, snow burning her tongue as she snapped at the calf’s side. her teeth grazed hide—shallow but sharp enough to sting, enough to drive it stumbling further from the cow’s reach. she drew back just enough to rebalance herself before she lunged again, aiming for the soft of the throat, teeth closing on warm fur at the nape as she hauled and yanked to unbalance the youngster. die fast, go quick.