Username: Starwindrider
name: Autumn Breeze//Breeze
gender: Mare
halter color: Orange with red flowers
extra:

This is Breeze’s companion, it’s a female red fox cub. It’s name is Kicha. How did Breeze come across Kicha? Well, that’s a long story.
Breeze cantered swiftly along the row of trees, hooves barely skimming the leaf-strewn ground. It was autumn, finally autumn! Breeze’s adventurous personality had taken over, and she was going for a little trip around the borders of her herd.
Ears pinned, Breeze willed herself to go faster. The afternoon sun filtered through the tall canopies, leaving her to gallop in cool comfort. Breeze sighed. She loved this feeling of freedom, and the wind in her mane, galloping so fast she felt she could fly.
Just then, a roaring and barking caught her attention. Pricking her ears, she veered in the direction of the sounds. Emerging out of a clump of bushes, she saw a wounded fox battling with a bear. The bear had it pinned down with one paw, and it was apparent who was going to win. As the bear lumbered away from the fox’s motionless body and into a thicket, Breeze rushed forward to examine the fox.
She could see that the fox was a female, and not quite young. It wasn’t a cub, then. It was wounded with a gaping gash in its side. It was already dead, sightless eyes gazing to the sky, mouth frozen mid-bark. Breeze backed away. She had seen death in her herd before: Mares dying at foaling; premature foals dying; horses claimed by disease or predators, found days after their disappearance. But not this, when death arrived on the soul of another animal.
A relentless squeaking sounded by her ears, and Breeze jerked her head up. There was the bear, plodding away with a small cub in its claws. Realisation dawned on Breeze, this fox was fighting to protect its offspring! The little fox let out another plaintive whine upon noticing Breeze. Help me! It seemed to beg.
Breeze bounded forward up to the bear. It wasn’t very big, just a little larger than she was. But she could try... With a sharp neigh, Breeze reared up on her hind legs, driving her hooves into the bear’s side and pushing all her weight on it. She had seen her Father, the herd stallion, fight off other stallions and bachelors before. She could do it, too. Mares fought for ranks and lead as well, and she was not an exception.
The bear stumbled and roared at Breeze. However, she was unfazed, striking the bear’s side again and again. The bear swiped at her with its claws and she winced as a gash appeared on her foreleg. She dropped back down on all fours and danced around to the bear’s blind spot before lashing out again. Small and agile, she was able to dodge the bear better on four limbs and on the ground.
With an oomph, the bear dropped the cub and limped away. Breeze watched it until she was sure it had left, then scrambled to check on the cub. Thankfully, it wasn’t wounded. She could see that it was a female. The cub clambered onto Breeze’s muzzle and licked he affectionately.
“Hello, little one,” Breeze nickered. The cub looked down at her and squeaked. “I’ll name you Kicha, okay? You’ll be as great as your own fox Mother when you grow up, you know.” The cub squeaked again, small claws gripping onto Breeze’s forelock.
“Come on, let’s go home.” Breeze picked up her hooves and trotted away, limping a little due to her wounds. She left the small clearing, but not without a last glance at the Mother fox’s body. She knew the Mother fox wouldn’t mind someone taking care of her cub for her. Breeze smiled and cantered away, back to her herd.