Chapter Two: Friendships and Hardships

"Faolan" a warrior dog of the Firma Kero, is given a new mission that changes his life...

            

  I carefully led the newly liberated dogs away from the enemy.  Thankfully, the horrible memories and rancid scent were left behind us.  I knew the area fairly well, and had used the rendezvous we were headed to on several occasions.  We would all get there safely.  To our advantage, there was a creek that ran for miles in the general direction that we needed to travel.  We walked in that stream for as long as we could, following the gentle flow, so that our scent was always ahead of us.  (It’s nearly impossible to track an animal that’s walking or swimming, downstream).  Thankfully the water was not so deep that we had to swim.

 

When it was finally time to cross to the other side, everyone was weary and begging for rest.  They were half starved and had been cramped together in a prison pit for weeks.  I understood why they wanted to stop, but they needed to understand why we couldn’t.

 

“We have to keep moving,” I encouraged, pushing a young black dog back up to his paws.  “The longer we stay here, the stronger our scent becomes, and the easier we are to trail.  You don’t really want to be recaptured and killed do you?”

 

The dogs mumbled various responses, more talking to each other than to me.  Eventually, I gave a low and loud growl to regain their attention.  They all flinched, but gave me rather defiant glares and kept their ground.

 

“Now!”  I ordered. “Start moving!”  And though it took some shoving, and the occasional nip, they did get back to their feet.

 

We reached the rendezvous moments before sunrise, and I told the others, “Now, you can find a place to wait and rest”.  I would keep watch over them until the guide came to lead them home.  As we waited, my eyes constantly scanning the trees and brush for threats, my mind drifted.  I thought about how great it would be if I could only go home with them all.  I hadn’t been to Promeso for nearly two years, and I missed it horribly.  As much as I loved my life and my calling, I would always miss my home.

 

My senses suddenly came back to me when I heard a stirring in the brush.  I turned to face whoever was coming (my head low and hackles raised) unsure if it was the guide or an enemy.  I caught a scent.  It was almost familiar, but I couldn’t place it.  I wasn’t even sure if I knew it.  Then I saw them, the same glowing green eyes from the second pit.  It was the cat that I’d freed.

 

“What are you doing here?” I demanded quietly.  “How did you find us?  If you’ve left a trail for the Morta Sango to follow…”

 

“No, I promise I haven’t,” the cat interjected.  “I followed you downstream, in the water.  It was awfully unpleasant, but very intelligent of you.”

 

“And what was so important that you followed me all this way?”

 

“Well… I… I don’t know this place, I’m not from anywhere near here, and I don’t know where to go to be safe.  I thought that maybe you would help me, just one more time?”

 

I snorted quietly in protest and glared at the brown tabby through narrowed eyes.  “You’re rather bold aren’t you?”

 

He seemed to take my comment as praise, because he lifted his head and purred when I said it.  I knew then that he would get himself in trouble if he stayed for too long. Just as I opened my mouth to say something, I heard a commotion behind me. 

 

The air filled with the sounds of a vicious frenzy.  Nearly half the dogs from the prison pit raced toward the tabby, barking and growling.  Without any thought, I instantly threw myself forward, crashing into one big, tri-colored dog and sending him to the ground.  I wheeled around and struck the next dog I saw with a forepaw, then grabbed him by the neck and tossed him aside, dazed but not injured.  Then at the sound of frantic hissing I charged through the rest of the group, baring my teeth and growling, “Enough!”

 

For a moment they all froze, but silently, one dog stalked up behind me, furious that I was keeping their would-be-meal away from them.  She reached out with open jaws to bite my hip.  Just as I felt the warmth of her breath, there was a horrible yowl, followed by a barrage of other unearthly sounds.  I jumped and swung around to see the cat.  He was clinging (with all four sets of claws) to the yellow dog’s massive head, while biting down on one of her long, tender ears.

 

The dog was hysterical.  Jumping and rolling and pawing at her attacker.  “Get the little devil off of me!” she cried in her continued panic.

 

As she began to roll in the dirt again, I leapt over and pinned her with my forepaws.  “Alright, let her go now.” I barked at the tabby.

 

He backed away quickly, all his fur was standing on end, hissing and spitting and snarling as he settled in behind me.

 

It was of course at that moment, that the striking, white figure of the guide came.  He stalked out of the forest and into view. 

 

“What exactly is going on here?” he asked, sounding rather agitated.

 

“I’m sorry,” I replied, lowering my head in respect.  “It was a minor disagreement sir; that’s all.”

 

The sleek white dog strolled through the small crowd, observing injuries, especially those of the yellow female.  His ice blue eyes met my gaze, “If this is minor, I’d hate to see what you consider to be a serious disagreement.

 

“I’ve heard of you Faolan, and they were all good things.  This is not what I expected to find… What were you fighting about?”

 

“We were fighting because he’s keeping prey from us.” One of the dogs barked, and the others were quick to support him.

 

“Is this true?” the guide asked me sternly.

 

“No,” I replied.  “I was protecting another captive that I freed from the same camp they were in.  Someone they all failed to mention when I asked them if there were others imprisoned.”

 

“We told you the truth, there were no other dogs there!” the yellow dog growled.

 

“Quiet!” the guide barked angrily.  “Faolan, who or what were you protecting?”

 

Without a word I stepped aside, revealing the agitated tabby that had been hiding behind me.  At the sight of the cat, the white dogs’ ears came forward and he almost seemed to relax. 

 

“Well, this is very interesting.” He said, almost under his breath.

 

“So,” one of the dogs called out “what do you say?  Is the cat prey?  Can we kill it?”

 

I strangely felt myself shudder at the thought of being ordered to step aside and let the others have their way.  After saving his life, twice, I had no desire to see the cat die.

 

“I say, that I would love to see any of you try to attack the cat without your rescuer here turning on you again.  Better yet, I’d love to see you try to attack Faolan, without the cat attacking you again.  Those are cat scratches on some of your faces, aren’t they?”

 

The others tensed for a moment, as if thinking about attacking one or both of us, but then relented.  When they all walked back to their resting places, the guide came closer and sat beside me.

 

“So you’ve made a new friend?” He said smiling.

 

“We can’t be friends,” I protested, “it’s unnatural.”

 

“That never stopped my friends,” He sighed.  “My apologies, I haven’t even introduced myself.  My name is Fintan.

 

“I’m glad to see you all made here safely… more or less.”

 

Suddenly, the guide had my full attention, “Fintan?” I whined in excitement, “The same Fintan who traveled with Tor and fought with him against the Morta Sango?”

 

“Yes,” He replied, “along with many others… and not all of them were dogs.  Tor had a friend named Cuan, who was a sand rat.  There was also a raven, and at one point, a ferret joined the pack.”

 

“You mean they didn’t befriend any cats?” I asked, half joking.

 

“If you count the cougars as cats, I suppose they did.”

 

My eyes widened in surprise.  I had heard others talk about the cougars before, but it was a part of the legend I always thought too crazy to be true.

 

Fintan and I rested and talked for a short while.  I was thrilled to be sitting with a Kero warrior of such high status, and asked him questions for as long as he would answer them.  I asked about the legends, about his life as a warrior and guide, and if Promeso looks as glorious when you return home, as it does the first time you arrive.  Eventually, he cut me off and turned to the tabby, which was curled up and pressed into my side.

 

“So, our little trouble maker, tell us about yourself.”

 

The cats’ eyes widened and he glared back and forth from Fintan to me several times before responding.

 

“Well, my name is Niall.  I lived in a place very far from here, but… but, that place is gone now and so is my family.  I have only one purpose left in this life.”  And though the guide asked him to tell on, Niall would say no more.

 

Before long, Fintan was on his feet again, rousing the other dogs from their naps and helping them to their paws.  They had to be going, and so did I.  I needed to keep moving, to put as much space between myself and the Morta Sango as possible.  Unfortunately, it seemed I had gained a traveling companion, for as soon as I began trotting away, Niall was at my heels.

Author's Note

This this a sample of my new novel "Kaptito Kero". If you'd like to buy the full book you can find it at: https://www.createspace.com/4610324
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