She flung the bundle to other side of the chasm, where it
hooked on the spike she shot through it. A few twists of the
rope, and we had a bridge over nothing. We passed one by
one, starting with Ira, the youngest, and ending with me.
She watched over us, arrow ready in bow, and came last. She
sliced the ropes with a mere spin of her claw, and ran with
us into the red canyon.

Night came, and we huddled close to each other, a pile of
six girls, hair and horns. We were free and together. Her
eyes glowed violet beside us, staying awake, watching, at
least until I fell asleep.

She woke us at dawn, a mountain of fur towering over us,
three tusks broken off by our captors, the remaining six
curved, ancient, gleaming like obsidian under the rising
blue sun. "Thank you" said Ira, her childish voice muffled
by her still-growing tusks, "thank you for saving us," and
cuddled against this noble warrior, as if she were kin. Good
show, little one! I slipped behind our distracted savior and
slit her gigantic throat. My five sisters and I, we can
trust only each other. Together we walked down the canyon,
slowly, hatefully, slaves no more.