https://www.deviantart.com/ifritnox/art/2-6-The-Gift-of-Fear-955015948

Lynx's children were happy, but they sensed something was missing.

One day, Mimas and Erakis Crimsonstar met Lynx's children in the Alkeswood: Regulus and Algieba. The lion and the tigress were the rulers of the Acaciameadow. They were mighty warriors and made all important decisions. Their strength was unquestioned, although some bears could beat them. But bears lived mostly in the Alkeswood, so they rarely met the big cats. But at that time, the judgment of Auriga, the trap-layer, had been spoken, and Lynx had joined in the court. His children had come with him.

Mimas and Erakis had come to see the tribunal. While the judges - Corvus, Lynx, and Ursa Minor - discussed how to deal with humans, Regulus and Algieba stood by Mimas and Erakis. They had heard of the unlikely friendship and how they helped Fakhita.

"We have one thing to ask of you", Regulus finally said. "Maybe you two can help us. It's about something our father has mentioned, we'd like to hear your opinion."

Mimas and Erakis agreed, and thus the two big cats brought them into a thicket where they could talk in peace. The red wolf and the fox sat side by side and waited for the big cat's story.

"It is the following," Regulus began, "when our father talks about courage, he says it's the biggest power any heart could possess. Courage, friendship, and freedom are the strongest powers of our world, according to him. All three are important virtues for all inhabitants of Andromeda."

The lion and the tigress wanted to be good inhabitants as well.

"But you have done nothing wrong", Erakis said.

"At least nobody has criticized us yet. But Auriga probably thought himself in the right as well. And we have heard how you taught Anser, who believed he was proving himself. We want to make sure that we don't do something wrong without knowing so."

"For that", Algieba added, "we want to learn and live the three virtues."

Regulus continued: "We know friendship. We have many friends and know to be loyal to them. We are also free. We don't let anybody tell us how to think or feel. We never follow others blindly."

"And... courage?" Mimas tilted his head.

"That is the problem", Algieba said. "We always considered ourselves courageous. After all, we never back down from a fight. But father said, you have to be afraid to be courageous, and ..." She glanced at her brother, and he looked at her. Like one person, they said: "We aren't afraid."

"You're not?" Mimas perked up. "Not even a little bit?"

"No. We fear nothing and no one." Regulus laid his ears back. "Father said, there can be no courage without fear, and that he who is without fear, is as far away from courage as you can be. Do you agree?"

"Well..." Mimas exchanged a glance with Erakis. "Yes, I do."

"Can you help us?", Algieba asked. The red tigress looked very sad. "We want to know fear. Only then can we know if we are courageous."

Now the four of them discussed for a long while. First about whether the lion and the tiger were sure about their request. But Lynx' children were determined. They wanted to experience fear in order to face it. Then they talked about what could scare them. Maybe a fight against many bears, or an avalanche. The darkness - yes, they all feared her, but there was no safe way to face her without endangering Andromeda. But there was nothing else the big cats feared.

"It's no easy task. But could you find something to scare us?", Lynx's children asked.

Mimas and Erakis agreed. "We will try. As long as the trial's on, we will do our best."

After promising this, they parted ways, and the two friends thought about how they could help the Lynx's children. They talked about many things they feared, but finally, it was the trial itself that gave them an idea.

First, there was the fear of the unknown that Auriga had brought into Lightreach. The trap-layer had even scared the titans because they didn't know what he was capable of. But instead of banishing him, an even greater fear held them back: The fear of mistreating Bootes, the bear-keeper, who had proven himself by saving the dogs.

Then, finally, Mimas and Erakis knew what to do. They went to Lynx and told him of his children's request. Lynx, proud of them, promised to help the fox and the red wolf.

First, they asked for one of Auriga's traps. Vulpecula and Lynx had taken them to investigate and had made multiple of them harmless. They took these traps and build a parkour in a dark part of the woods. Then Mimas asked, which creature was dearest to the two big cats.

This was a clouded leopard, which Regulus and Auriga had created together: Subra. When Mimas and Erakis told her the plan, she agreed to help.

Now they called Regulus and Auriga to the parkour.

"That is all? That should scare us?", Regulus asked slowly. "I admit, the traps are dangerous, but having enough time to examine them, we will pass by them."

Algieba nodded. "We'd be careful, but is that truly fear?"

"Just you wait", Erakis smiled. "For there is a twist. Not you will face the trial, buy you beloved Subra."

The lion and the tigress shivered, as the clouded leopard stepped into view. Desperately they tried to change her mind, but Subra insisted. Finally, the siblings had to let their creation go, but they ran next to the path and kept calling her name.

Of course, there was no real danger, even though Regulus and Algieba didn't question at that moment if Mimas and Erakis would really go that far. Because they saw Subra between the iron and thought the iron to be real, they couldn't think. Still, they respected the leopard's wish and didn't interfere. After a while, they were happily at her side again.

Mimas and Erakis went to the lion and the tigress.

"What were you thinking?", Algieba roared. "How could you put Subra in such danger?"

"There was no danger", the clouded leopard calmed her creator

Mimas proved the traps were harmless by jumping inside and out again. "But this way", the fox said, "you learned what fear is. The fear of losing someone dear."

"I understand", Algieba said quietly. "I guess everybody is afraid of that."

"And have we passed?", Regulus asked. "Have we been brave? Because it doesn't feel like we were."

"You have been very brave", Erakis said. "You were afraid for the first time but still found the courage to let Subra go."

"That is how courage feels like?", Lynx's children asked.

Mimas and Erakis nodded.

"Not a nice present", Erakis said. "But you had asked for it."

"And we thank you", Regulus said. "You taught us what fear is like we asked you to. Never shall we complain about that."

Soon after, the trial of Auriga was over. Lynx's children and the two friends parted ways in friendship and returned to their homes. But they never forgot the importance of fear, this lesson both the big cats and the wolf and the fox had learned.