The roar came from a fierce wolf, echoing very close to where the Sage Rat was hiding. At that moment, countless plans filled the rat's mind to deal with the worst possible outcomes. However, just thinking alone wasn't enough, as the rat had yet to set up any traps, making this potentially the most dangerous situation it had encountered.
The Sage Rat stopped thinking and quietly hid, manipulating the space around it to create a profound silence. This way, there was a higher chance that the wolf would leave.
After remaining still for a while, the Sage Rat successfully convinced the wolf that there was no movement around anymore. Thus, it would feel safe enough to leave.
However, there was one thing the Sage Rat had forgotten: wolves often have a strong intuition. They perceive everything through their instincts with high accuracy to hunt. Therefore, it did not easily depart, as it still sensed something lingering in the surroundings.
A rat fighting a wolf seemed like a battle with a vast disparity in strength, and it was obvious which side would emerge victorious. However, it was this skewed thinking that underestimated the small and seemingly insignificant. Indeed, the Sage Rat would prove that the notion of a tremendous gap could be a misleading concept. For only the rat possessed enough intelligence, courage, and daring to demonstrate that this belief was wrong.
What is easily forgotten and always a weakness of the strong is contempt. For if they become too powerful and underestimate others, relying solely on their strength, they will face a deserved outcome.
The Sage Rat remained hidden, its heart pounding as it carefully assessed the situation. The fierce wolf stood a short distance away, sniffing the air and searching for any sign of movement. Understanding that brute strength was not an option, the Sage Rat decided to rely on its sharp intellect to outsmart the predator.
First, it focused on the environment around it. The battlefield was littered with debris and broken branches, remnants of the previous conflict. The Sage Rat recalled how the wolves often hunted in packs, using coordinated movements to corner their prey. Realizing it was alone, the rat saw this as an opportunity to exploit the wolf's instinct to hunt.
With a plan forming in its mind, the Sage Rat began to create subtle distractions. It nibbled at a nearby branch, breaking it just enough to create a faint sound that would draw the wolf's attention. As the wolf's ears perked up, the rat scuttled silently to a patch of taller grass, using it as cover. The wolf, intrigued by the noise, turned its gaze towards the source, momentarily forgetting its instincts.
Next, the Sage Rat quickly assessed the wind direction. It needed to ensure that its scent wouldn't give it away. With careful precision, it moved against the wind, drawing closer to the wolf while remaining hidden. The rat then spotted a small, rocky outcrop nearby—a perfect vantage point to launch its final tactic.
Using its nimble agility, the Sage Rat climbed up onto the outcrop, positioning itself above the wolf. From this height, it could see the wolf's every move and formulate a plan. It remembered that wolves were drawn to movement, so it decided to use that to its advantage. The rat began to throw small pebbles into the distance, creating noises that echoed across the battlefield.
The wolf, hearing the sounds, was instantly drawn towards them, eager to investigate. As it trotted away, the Sage Rat seized the moment. It quickly descended from its perch and positioned itself behind the wolf, staying out of sight. Now, the rat had the element of surprise.
As the wolf became engrossed in chasing after the sound, the Sage Rat launched itself forward, darting in front of the wolf and then back again. This quick maneuver caught the wolf off guard. The wolf, confused and startled, paused momentarily, its instincts kicking in as it tried to reassess the situation.
Seizing this opportunity, the Sage Rat made a sudden dash toward a nearby bush. The wolf, determined to catch the elusive creature, lunged after it, but in doing so, it stumbled over the debris scattered across the battlefield, losing its footing. The Sage Rat had cleverly led the wolf into a trap of its own making.
In that critical moment, the Sage Rat's intelligence shone through. It maneuvered swiftly around the wolf, exploiting its clumsiness to gain distance. Finally, as the wolf struggled to regain its balance, the Sage Rat made its escape into the safety of a nearby burrow, leaving the confused predator behind.
The rat emerged victorious, not through sheer strength, but by outsmarting its foe. It understood that intelligence could prevail where brute force might fail, proving once again that even the smallest creatures could outwit the mightiest beasts.
Now, the rat is no longer in danger; it rests calmly. Perhaps the outcome of this animal war will be a disastrous one.
After years of fighting, no faction manages to achieve total victory. All the animals are exhausted, and resources are becoming ever scarcer. A temporary peace treaty is signed, in which the species agree to share resources and territories, though underlying tensions still remain.
A multi-species council is established to manage resources and enforce fair rules between species. However, mistrust and hostility between the species persist, and everything seems to be just one small event away from reigniting the war.
That is what the rat has predicted so far. It may be unlikely to happen or it could occur at a very high rate. But one thing is certain: sooner or later, the war will end, and it will inevitably flare up again.
And it is war that will leave a lingering hatred from all sides. The combatants will never return to their former selves or retain any love if they have ever stepped foot in a place of war.