A Prey Among Predators

Electronic music pumps through the speakers, which are situated above the ice rink. The rink, squeezed into a white-painted room with only benches behind the penalty boxes and scorekeepers’ booth, holds the two team finalists.

On the left side of the ice, the team in white, maroon, and gold, are skating around their side of the ice and shooting at Carter, who is at the net. Among the crowd of skaters is Nolan with his long ears stretched behind him due to his speed.

Nolan knocks a puck in between Carter’s blocker and the net’s post before rounding the net and gliding alongside the boards. He then approaches the centerline and settles on his knees beside it. With a sigh, he spreads his bent legs out with his stick on the ground as he gazes ahead.

“Well, well, well is that a bunny I see getting ready for hockey?” he hears an arrogant voice point out.

Nolan extends his legs out behind him and presses his focus on the audience benches beyond the glass.

“Y’know, I thought you’d have better hearing with those big ears of yours.”

He snaps his head to the right, where the voice is coming from.

On the other side of the centerline, also on his knees, is Nico Hischier. His jersey is black with red designs, including a red “C” patched above his heart. Sticking out from his black helmet are a pair of tan-colored small, rounded furry ears; inside them is dark brown fur. A bushy tail sprouts from his black hockey pants, fading into brown toward the tip.

Nolan slides his legs back to his sides as he crinkles his nose at the combination of his ears and tail. “And what are you supposed to be? A skunk?”

Nico stretches his legs out behind him. “Well, you surely don’t know your subspecies. I’m a wolverine.”

A sensation instantly tightens Nolan’s muscles, urging him to distance himself from the opponent. Nolan digs the tip of his skate’s blade into the ice and pushes himself away from him.

With a smirk, Nico climbs back up to his skates. He smirks down at him. “I’m gonna have fun eating ya up, bunny boy!”

He then skates away with a snicker, before being halted by another teammate of his with a pair of massive, pointy sand-colored ears.

“Bunny?!” Jesperi Kotkaniemi the fennec fox exclaims up at him in his raspy voice. “Where?!” His furry, thick sand-coloured tail with its tip dipped in black sticks up in curiosity.

With a scowl, Nolan pushes himself up to his skates and continues skating around his zone. However, he captures Jesperi’s screechy cackles.

From the other side of the centerline, Jesperi leans back with one glove-cladded hand over his face, below his visor, and another pointing his stick toward his opponent’s side of the ice. The scratchy laughs emit from his tall, shuddering frame.

Carter glides out from his crease, toward the right side of the net. The laughing catches his attention, causing him to whip his head toward the laughter’s direction.

“There’s a bunny here! We’re playing against a bunny!” Jesperi whirls to Nico, who is still to the right, and goes down on his knees, shaking his fists together. “Oh, I’m scared, so scared!!” He then drops onto the ice, flat on his stomach, and continues to convulse with laughter.

Carter gapes at him. Indignation then takes over his expression, sharpening his eyes and closing his mouth into a frown.

He storms up toward Jesperi and snaps, “Hey! What’s so funny, big ears?!”

Nico flicks his deep brown eyes to the goalie.

Carter halts right behind the blue line, still fuming.

Nico holds his stick out at his chortling teammate. “Just let him laugh.” He then glides away.

Overcome with giggles, Jesperi climbs back onto his skates and follows his captain down their side of the ice.

Carter stays in place, following the two with his keen eyes. As they round the net, they pass by Miro Heiskanen, who is staring straight at Carter from the left corner. His light grey ears stick out from his helmet with black, slim tufts of hair topping each one’s tip.

Carter gawks at him, offended, and holds his stick out away from his side. “What are you looking at, Miro?!”

Miro dips his head and joins his teammates of black skating around.

Carter then senses someone tapping his left leg pad. He turns to the left.

“Hey, forget about ‘im,” Clayton tells him. “Let’s go.”

He then skates away. With one last glower at the opponents, Carter glides to the boards. He settles onto his knees next to Nolan, who is continuing his stretches with one leg extended.

“Sorry about them,” Carter mutters with a sharp edge. He keeps narrowed eyes at the other side of the ice; his small, brown ears are flattened.

Nolan huffs, looking down at the ice. “I knew it was gonna happen.”

Carter turns back to him, softening his expression. “Just make them wish that they never poked fun at a buck.”

He lifts his head and gives him a small smile.

Notes