The symphony was suddenly snuffed out, one jarring note was enough to shatter the song. Lost, his expression was a mix of confusion and surprise as he raised his head, only to see the fox. Oh.
It wasn't his first time seeing one of the animals of the Niahi Woods, but it definitely was his first time seeing one so close! And why was it looking at him this way? Did he accidentally call it here, carelessly announcing their presence with his song?
If so, it was his responsibility to make it right. He could feel the sun's gaze upon him, judgmental and expectant. What could he do? He was no warrior, he couldn't fight off an animal this size. A true hero would throw himself at the beast anyway, to draw its attention so that the princess could escape, but she was holding his arm so tight, he doubted he could move away from her. She appeared to be as entranced by the fox as he was.
The saying was, music could soothe a savage beast - and that was the only thing he could do. He reached for his lute, but his hand never found its target - the fox was vigilant for any sign of movement. The moment one of his prey moved, the beast struck, its paw pinning the minstrel to the ground.