Dog On A Rope

5 - How Did I Get Roped Into This?

Small, twinkling droplets of spit flew in the air as tiny, round specks reflecting clear moon and stars. The sky was bright and clear, tiny twinkling lights against a black backdrop, scattered stars and a whole, beautifully white moon illuminating shining pelts and casting long, blue shadows across the dirt and grass.

There was a single second in time as the wolf was partially in the air, stars around him in small drips, condensed and suspending in cool, night air, his tongue, pink gums, black lips and white teeth all visible in a gaping, snarling, spitting mouth; his muzzle curled back with creases down the centre where it was brown and shadowed. His angry, wide eyed reflected the entire moon, and he became the night, quick and dark and fiery.

He did not hesitate as The Baron mounted Laika. His huge, muted moonlit form moved in a blurry, bokeh-lit action, a blur of shining brown and grey and black fur. The huge body flew through the air and then bowled into The Baron's reflective white body, muzzle to muzzle, flashing teeth to teeth, and suddenly the two were in a huge, fur-flying, spit-flying brawl of teeth, claw, and hair, one side darkened with shade and the other illuminated in beautiful aqua light, shimmering with gentle lines as if they were fighting beneath the blue, gleaming ocean itself. Their hair seemed to wave like they were underwater as well, in big looping waves back and forth, back and forth. It stood on end for both dogs, hackles raised bad gums showing, blood droplets scattering across the ground.

In only an instant, the fury of the feral beast came rushing down on The Baron's bright white form like an unruly salted wave, and the fight was full of blood scattering, hair flying, and crying out. The Baron fell backwards onto his back, and the wolf landed right on top of him. Kicking spastically, the white dog flailed beneath him. Teeth met teeth with ferocity, lip met lip in blood, and snarls echoed across half of the tribe's land.

The wolf's eyes were nearly closed his face was so wrinkled with hate and growl, and he wasn't quite sure what he was grabbing a hold of, but he bit down hard on fur and flesh and felt the familiar crack of bone beneath his broad jaws, and then, at The Baron's loud howl for help, just as quickly as he had pounced, the wolf fled.

The Baron cried out, "Follow them! Bring the wolf back alive!"

The wolf jumped from The Baron's battered, calling form, and then flipped around and sprinted, the Saluki now following in equally frightened stride. As they ran, she glanced up at him, and he down at her, and they both noticed the moon in the other's eyes. How prominent the moon was on Laika's coat, giving her a blue aura, a gentle aqua outline, darkening shadows and brightening her shimmering highlights. She seemed to glow and run with speed like a Gazelle or a Goddess. Both, maybe.

The wolf was clumsier, bounding like a horse, every pound against the earth with his paws thrusting against his entire, large body like the wind or earth's quaking. He moved in rolling, heaving bounds. The saluki ran with precision and speed and strength, like an arrow, quickly sprinting with elegance and an aero body movement, head lowered and tail down. The wind pulsated through her feathered fur, rolling along it like an ocean along the sand in beautiful, black, smooth waves. The frothy foam among them was the glistening sheen to her luxurious feathered coat.

Still. They were ugly. Loud panting, tongues out, spit flying and dirt trampled beneath them, flying up in a powder of dust and along their legs which suddenly seemed dull with dry, brown mess. Surely they'd both have matts of tangled, muddy fur lining their legs and bellies by the end of such a wild, messy chase.

They both recalled where they had come from a week ago and which entrance they had used, and now, they raced back through the alley and past fearful, onlooking dogs, through a forest of dense, gross scents. It stunk like musk, mold, and sweat, but through it all was a small, calm stream of breeze that smelled of fresh dirt and softly decaying forest logs, a creeping green moss upon them. It smelled cool and sweet like tender water.