valor and strength

Unexpected visit

As we ran towards Mavane's house, where he was with his children, Coeni rushed ahead of us closely followed by Tenami, while I lagged a bit behind. As we approached, I could see a trio of foxes diligently digging the earth, trying to intrude into the rabbit's home. The night didn't allow for a clear view of the situation, but against the stars, I could see some wings flapping in the air before diving down onto them, pecking to prevent the intrusion. Those crows fought risking their lives to give us time to arrive.

Coeni, being the first to appear on the scene, skidded his feet at the entrance of his house and grabbed one of the foxes by the tail. Catching its attention, he jumped back as the carnivore snapped at him. The other pair still at their task turned around upon noticing the rabbit zigzagging to dodge the first one. He ran, pursued by the three enemies, leaping among them while the crows continued their aerial attack to assist him, until one of his legs fell into a hole one of his little ones had made while playing in the afternoon. Due to the speed at which everything was happening, Coeni fell rolling to the ground and couldn't get up in time before the trio of cardobianos pounced on him.

A couple of little rabbits inside the house, watching everything through a small hole, cried out in great fear as tears welled up in their eyes: "Dad!"

A few days earlier, as the evening was winding down, Coeni and I talked a bit while we watched the little rabbits hop and frolic among the grass, listening to laughter and shouts in the background. "There's something strange about me, Raoban, something spinning in my head, but I don't know how to describe it," my dear ally confessed to me. "There's a feeling that overwhelms me since the blow I received against the tile, battling the wolf. It's like I saw something, but not really; like in a dream when you're certain of something even if it doesn't make sense." But before I could ask anything, Tenami appeared with that humor bordering on insolence, while a couple of crows flapped their wings to keep from falling from his tusks.

"And how did you stop shaking, my little Coeni? Raoban already told me how he couldn't do anything against the cardobiano that attacked them and left everything in your hands."

I felt ashamed to admit I couldn't do more, but Coeni replied in an unexpected way for me.

"I never stopped shaking, my dear friend. While I held him by the ears, I felt terrified, just waiting for the moment he'd catch me by a paw and end it all," as Coeni spoke, he watched his children hopping and playing while maintaining a slightly nervous smile, as the east wind rustled the boar's braid: "It's just that... what would become of me if I knew I could have done something and avoided it just out of fear? My friend needed me. I don't think fear can be an excuse to stop doing what I must"; he concluded, lowering his head.

Even Tenami, who was like iron, seemed moved for a moment before making one of his daring comments: "What nonsense, little Coeni, you were lucky this time, but don't risk so much next time." So I replied, "Not an ounce of luck, Tenami. What he achieved and the way he emerged victorious was due to his courage and effort. The only way to change fate is to put our hands in the fire and force it to change." The three of us looked at each other for a moment, and we spontaneously burst into laughter that brightened our day.

A moment before the foxes managed to reach Coeni, Tenami embedded his tusks against them, telling the rabbit, "Without stopping shaking, you're very crazy, little bunny," while smiling at him. In that moment, I regained the breath I had lost. Somehow, Coeni and his actions give me a lot of courage.

But it wasn't time to relax yet. The crows warned of danger with their caws, "there's more, Tenami, there's more."

From the shadows, a much larger group of carnivores could be seen approaching at great speed, around 30 of them. Maybe we wouldn't have a chance, but my pride as a guardian was at stake.

Immediately, my two allies and I got into position.

Without taking my eyes off the front, I suggested to my companions, "I'll go ahead opening the way, while Tenami follows closely guarding my rear and eliminating any enemy that hasn't fallen." Tenami nodded. "Find shelter, Coeni, I don't know how this will end." I don't know why I said those words when I already knew the answer.

"No way, I'm the one most interested in defending my home and my own. I'll be with you until the end, whatever that may be," my bold friend replied.

To our surprise, and for reasons unknown, we heard a gallop behind our position, a couple of shadows moving in the night were quickly approaching, causing us to change our strategy.

I raised my voice to my friends. "Tenami, Coeni! Change of plans, you two to the rear, leave the front to me."

Tenami, with his somewhat unbalanced personality to my eyes, smiled as he shouted, "Come on, you filthy creatures, let's see what you can do against my tusks!" Coeni, excited by the situation, said to himself, "Not one step back Coeni, not one step back," as he clenched his teeth as well as his fists.

I heard a familiar voice from the shadows approaching behind me: "What are you waiting for, children? Charge!" My comrades, with a look of surprise, stood dumbfounded.

Accompanied by a black fox, a huge elk that passed by me lightly pushed with his large body while telling me, "You can stay watching, I'll take care of everything."

My father Raobeon was there among us, causing a great stir as well as boosting our spirits. Immediately I ran to join him in the attack, Coeni and Tenami approached from his right forming a formation without even agreeing on it.

As we approached like a stampede, I could see the faces of the cardobianos distort in fear and astonishment. Half of their advance tried to halt suddenly, but we didn't stop.

Passing through them with our horns and tusks held low to disable the majority of them in the first attack.

Coeni was getting better and better in combat, as fast as lightning he moved among the enemies drawing their attention, just to wait for Tenami, who like a force of nature threw anything that stood in his way left and right, while the crows obscured the view of the carnivores approaching Coeni.

My father and I divided the enemy command into two parts to disperse both their forces and their intention to fight. In a short time, they regrouped and ran off with their tails between their legs.

Tenami, fueled by his spirit, let out a cry to his winged companions, "Let's go, crows!" who took flight after the fleeing enemies.

The boar ran forward, colliding head-on with Raobeon, who stopped her abruptly. "Stop, girl," he said, "it's not appropriate to chase them right now; we don't know what awaits us in the shadows." To which the boar replied, "It's the best time, now that they're fleeing. Let's end them all once and for all."

But my father prevailed over Tenami's warlike intentions. "For now, let's celebrate this achievement. Let's rejoice in the victory, then we'll have much to discuss."

My father was right. He didn't want to overshadow our recent success, but there were multiple questions and answers in the air.