The black horse finally buckled beneath the burden of its rider, collapsing to its knees. Ivan Northes dismounted with urgency, examining her for vital signs. Thankfully, the nightmarish vision of a horse expiring violently with blood spurting from every orifice—an image that had flashed unbidden through his mind—did not materialize. Black Lily merely hung her head, eyelids drooping as her sides heaved with labored breath. "Just tired, huh, girl?" Ivan said, a hint of mockery in his voice. "Don't worry, you'll be dead soon enough. I'll be wolf bait, and you'll be dessert."

  Black Lily didn't dignify him with so much as a glance, too spent for such trifles.

  "Such disdain," Ivan muttered, pivoting to survey the surroundings for his lupine pursuer. The Dire Wolf made no pretense at stealth or ambush; it sauntered brazenly into view. Its tongue lolled limply between massive fangs, each ragged breath visibly intensifying its suffering. "You're about done for too, you bastard," he spat, flipping the wolf off. "Should've quit while you were ahead, you dumbass."

  The Alpha Wolf struggled to display its fangs in a semblance of menace. The sight of Ivan standing upright clearly unsettled it—horseback riders were its preferred quarry. Now, with another pursuit clearly impossible, it prepared for what both predator and prey recognized as their final confrontation.

  The Dire Wolf began its measured approach. Ivan Northes raised his bow and reached behind for his final arrow. A grim realization dawned—his quiver hung empty.

  "Shit, I should just let the wolf rip my throat out and be done with it," Ivan muttered, momentarily surrendering to despair. A glint of light caught his peripheral vision. There lay his missing arrow—tantalizingly visible, yet positioned on Black Lily's far side.

  Ivan Northes initiated a cautious advance toward the arrow, each step deliberate and whisper-soft. The Alpha Wolf mirrored his movements with predatory synchronicity, maintaining the deadly geometry between them. (No possibility of retrieving the arrow in this configuration...) he assessed silently. (It would strike the moment I'm most vulnerable—sprawled and defenseless.)

  Abandoning this approach, he squared his shoulders to face his adversary. "Come then, wolf-spawn. Let's resolve this matter directly." He drew the short sword from his belt with a metallic rasp. The Alpha Wolf bared its teeth but retreated several paces at the sight of gleaming steel. (Is suicide even an option right now?)

  He lowered himself into a defensive crouch, gripping the short sword in reverse, blade parallel to his forearm. (Maintain composure. Observe.)

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  A stillness descended, profound as death itself.

  With an explosive growl, the Alpha Wolf charged. Ivan dropped lower, timing the interval perfectly before flattening himself against the earth. The wolf's powerful leap carried it harmlessly over him—but not before Ivan's well-placed kick connected solidly with its underbelly. Despite the blossoming pain in its abdomen, the wolf twisted midair with preternatural agility, landing and whirling to attack Ivan as he lay exposed. Bracing with his left arm, Ivan executed a desperate backhand slash with the short sword. Blood erupted across the wolf's face, transforming its world into a crimson haze. With an agonized howl, it sprang backward. Now it faced Ivan with half its field of vision permanently extinguished.

  Ivan Northes maintained absolute vigilance. He retreated methodically, reestablishing crucial distance. Though its right eye radiated searing pain, the Alpha Wolf refused capitulation. A widening trail of blood marked its awkward advance toward what it still perceived as eventual sustenance.

  The elite knight had intended merely to create separation and divert the wounded, enraged predator from his exhausted mount. But this tactical repositioning yielded an unforeseen consequence. Black Lily's nostrils flared rhythmically—not just drawing breath, but analyzing the scent-based proximity between the wolf and herself. The Alpha Wolf, wholly fixated on Ivan, failed to detect the imminent threat. With astonishing vitality, Black Lily surged upright and charged the wolf with explosive force. Her forelegs connected with devastating impact, pulverizing internal organs and launching the beast several meters through the air. "Magnificent!" Ivan exclaimed, genuine admiration displacing his practiced cynicism.

  The Dire Wolf struggled upright, its fury transcending catastrophic injury as it hurled itself at Black Lily. The warhorse reared impressively, forelegs pawing the air in defiant challenge as the combatants collided in primal violence. Ivan stood transfixed by the savage tableau. The wolf's claws anchored deeply into the horse's neck, preventing any possibility of dislodgment. Once it stabilized its compromised vision, the wolf clamped its jaws around Black Lily's throat—but couldn't maintain the hold. The horse retaliated by seizing the wolf's ear between her teeth, shaking her massive head with bone-jarring ferocity.

  The forgotten cedar arrow suddenly reclaimed Ivan's attention. He snatched up his bow, calling out to his mount, "Hold fast!" Nocking the arrow with practiced efficiency, he drew the string taut. The wolf ignored the battering hooves, repeatedly attempting to sever Black Lily's jugular. Blood cascaded from its mangled ear as it finally wrenched free of the horse's grip, jaws gaping wide for what would surely be a killing bite. In that pivotal moment, a violent shudder passed through the wolf's frame before all animation ceased within it.

  The broadhead arrow had found its ultimate mark.

  Ivan Northes collapsed onto the ground, a series of fractured laughs escaping him. "Extraordinary performance... my girl..." he gasped between chuckles, his vision blurring with unbidden moisture. "Such magnificent courage... I'll ensure you receive formal recognition... Your elegant neck shall be adorned with every medal they possess..." His hands covered his dirt-streaked, tear-stained face as coherent speech dissolved into indistinct muttering.

  The black mare released one final, satisfied whinny before her powerful frame surrendered to gravity.

  She exhaled her terminal breath.