Trying for him too
▪ Username: Tarra
▪ Whelkon Name: Elkanah
▪ Short Story (400 words max or disqualified):
Perhaps he was too used to the silence, for when it broke he startled, caught himself, and turned to face the music. Or the squeaks, rather: some beast was squealing, a small creature by the shrill sound of it, and he felt himself drawn to it as to a lure. Caution never left him even then however, drilled in and ingrained as it was by his sire and dam from his birth. He walked with slow, soft steps, hoof falls barely turning a leaf or cracking a twig on the forest floor: a shadow passing beneath the boughs of mighty trees, a shimmer echoing amongst their rough-hewn trunks.
He found what he sought soon enough: a squirrel, caught in a hunter's snare, squeaking pitifully. The little fellow was not hurt, merely pinned; but with that racket he would soon attract some other predator to make an end of him. Elkanah could have waited for that, and then claimed his share of the remnants for his own nourishment; but that was not the whelkon way, and certainly not how his parents had raised him. He made gentle, light strides to the squirrel, which froze in terror as he neared; he lowered his head with its massive antlers, spoke.
"Be still."
It did, still more petrified than aware of anything he had said.In that moment of absolute quiet his powerful forehoof came down on squirrel and snare with a sharp thwack that resounded into the forest like the burst of a gunshot. The impact snapped it cleanly in two almost over the squirrel's back. The little creature lay frozen a moment longer, still too afraid to move. Slowly, gradually, it dragged itself clean of the snare's remnants as Elkanah nosed it off its back, and chattered its gratitude into his much larger muzzle.
"It is well," he said, raising his head once more, "But don't repeat that mistake again."
The squirrel watched, still chattering its thanks, as the whelkon slid off into the shadows; and back into his silent, secretive ways once more.
▪ Why you want this Whelkon (Few sentences):
Maybe I have a soft spot for natural colors but I do think he is lovely even if he's tagged "Very Common". And his youth opens some very interesting avenues for storyline as well.
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