Answer:
fend means
Explanation:
verb: look after and provide for oneself, without any help from others.
verb 2: defend oneself from a blow, attack, or attacker.
The answer is: His sisters and his mother are very fond of him.
This question is mostly interpretative. However, the majority could agree that the most appropriate answer would be C, as the figurative language and imagery used by the author are used in a manner that they're descriptive enough to keep the suspense of the scene, but not long enough to distract the audience from the events of the plot.