I hear something.
Something is outside my home.
Something loud.
I wish it would leave me to my sleep.
I shift.
The noise is much louder now.
I must stop it.
I rise to my hooves. I smash my head against the stone before me. It fractures and gives. It crumbles into pieces that I crush beneath my hooves. I see now what has woken me up. A small creature. And a smaller creature mounted atop it. It moves quickly. Almost too quickly for my eyes. If it wanted to flee, it could. I would not chase after it.
But instead it draws nearer. Near enough that I could crush it underfoot.
I feel a terrible weight within my chest.
This tiny creature has slain one of us. I know not who. But I can feel it.
There is one less of us in this land.
The thought infuriates me.
I raise my hooves in the air.
And I stomp.
The tiny creature falls from its place. The larger of the two bolts away. I stare down. I hope it can feel my anger.
It has no right to slay us.
No right.
I raise my hooves to stomp again.
We have done nothing to—
A pain shoots through my arm and I drop down. I see the creature run as quickly as it can to my bent arm. It takes fistfuls of the fur and begins to climb.
I stand despite the pain.
I must get it off.
It has slain one of us. And it intends to slay me.
I feel it on my back. I shake wildly.
I must get it off.
But it persists.
A sharp sting runs a course from the base of my spine to every part of my being.
And another.
And another.
I thrash violently.
I must get it off.
I feel it on my head.
A stabbing pain.
Another.
I must get it off.
Another.
My vision darkens.
And I fall.