"Who are the Shepherds? Who is the Flock?"

Prompt: The Shadows Are Watching

150 years After Founding
The small class of shepherd apprentices gathered around their campfire against the autumn chill, their herding bells tinkling softly. It was a rare night with Dracora’s two moons absent from the starry sky. The leaves in the firelight shone back their fire colors, with cooler blues, browns, and greys peeking through, having shed the purples and yellow-greens of summer.
It was the first of the month this class would spend alone in one of many massive herd craters. Journeyman rank required one month of survival skills in each habitat the crater-pens contained, along with knowledge of healing, herding techniques, and their various animal wards.
The dragon fledgling admired his flamework, feeding it more wood, as the other teenagers passed around food and hot chocolate. "Heard any good rumors?"
“All the animals are getting bigger,” said the centaur, “The horses are larger than my parents now! Smarter, too, they think.”
The elf added, “All the herds are restless; they steal crops, stalk hunters and shepherds. It’s creepy.”
“Ridiculous!” said the feathered serpent, “They’re cunning, sure, but still animals. And we’ve magic! Predator and prey alike fear it. Besides, they know our bells, that we shepherds care for them.”
Low growls surrounded the camp, and the apprentices startled, seeing eyes glow in the undergrowth. Sudden roars as three giant felines burst towards them! Tiger, lioness, and leopard, double their usual size and unafraid of fire. No time to react as the cats leaped–
–A great bellow and a fourth shape rushed forward, hooves and horns gleaming as it kicked and gored.
Yowls of pain, anger, frustration, and the big cats fled.
The elephant-sized aurochs bull, horns bloodied, bowed to the shepherds, calmly leaving. They stared after it, huddled together in fear and shock.
“What just happened?!” asked the kirin.
All sat dumbstruck.