Dog On A Rope

11 - Long Walks

The saluki and the wolf trotted along through a tangled, grey forest. Here and there, small patches of green had appeared from the cool ground, creating a contrast against the tans and browns and greys of late winter. The morning sun had risen just a little higher, still casting its familiar warm glean across the high branches of trees, which wavered in the wind, dotting the forest floor in dappled shade and light. As the two canines walked along at a quick pace, the spotted light rose and fell over their pelts, casting them in multi-shades and glows.

The black and tan saluki walked with a prance, her dark feathery fur lifting and falling like soft grass rippling in the wind. Her loose, long ears bounced lightly just as she did. Every delicate step on leaves, she lifted and then fell just a little.

The wolf was much heavier and heartier. He walked like a hefty bear, muscles rippling, agouti hair rolling, pounding in every weighted, large step, his feet wide and loose and his head low. His fluffy grey tail hung loose by his hocks and swished from side to side as he walked. A dirty strung rope hung from his neck and swung from side to side between him and Laika. It had become browned from dirt through their walks.

"What is the tribe called?" Laika asked.

Afore turned his head to her as they walked, "Your neighbour tribe is Jall Ttibe. I'm surprised that you don't know that."

"Ah, well, now that I hear it, it does sound familiar," Laika said, a little cheeky, glancing sideways at Afore.

"Uh-huh," he said sarcastically.

Laika leaned to his side slightly askew, nearing him, "You never believe me."

He leaned right back, "Probably because you're a no-good liar."

"Am I?"

"Yeah, like a fox!"

"Oh yeah? Like a fox?"

"Yep. You're as ugly as one, too."

Laika hissed, "No fair. I'm nothing like a fox." Then, she smirked, "And you're only saying that because you secretly think I'm attractive."

Flustered, Afore's eyes widened and his ears went back, "What? Attractive?"

"Uh-huh. Why else would you go out of your way to say I'm ugly?"

Afore scoffed and shook his head, "Probably because you are. Ugly, I mean."

"Uh-huh."

Afore grumbled, "Don't act so surprised. You're not special."

Laika looked him up and down with study as they walked, raising a brow, and then said, "You would be the kind of canine to think everyone but yourself is ugly."

"I don't think everyone but me is ugly," Afore grumbled again, "Quite the opposite!"

"Uh-huh!"

Afore glared down at Laika lowly for her remark, and she only smiled mischievously back, proud, little glinting fangs visible from the sides of her curled black mouth.

Rolling his eyes, Afore said, "Not like you'd know anything about me. You spend too much time hating me."

"Everyone hates you," Laika said with a sneer, "I'm not the only one."

"What? Scared of being different?"

She growled, shaking her head, "I don't want to be an outcast, like you."

Afore's eyes widened with feigned surprise, and he glanced around them at the forest as they walked, tied together, "Oh really? You're not already an outcast?" Laika only growled at him once again, holding her tail and head low, glaring up at him with gleaming eyes. The rope swung between them with a bit of weight, moving to and fro with their prance. Leaves and dry grass crinkled beneath their paws with white noise. In the area, a small echoing bird chirped from somewhere up high, a certain sign of the incoming spring.

"We're not too far now," Afore said at last. It had been over an hour of walking so far, and both of the canines' paws were getting sore. Especially Laika, who was used to the evenly paved gravel and soft dirt paths of her tribe. Now, she walked on uneven, rocky ground, littered with dry leaves and grass.

Somewhere in the woods, not too far from the two, a bird's chirp echoed and a small ferret dug a burrow. A vole skittered beneath crackling underbrush and a squirrel climbed up a tree, tail curled behind him, tiny dagger claws making hairline indentations in the jagged bark of an oak.

And somewhere in the woods was a fluffy, lanky coyote, the build of a sneaky fox or ferret, but with the muscle of a dingo or dog. The coyote was the ultimate creature, small enough to be sly and elusive, but big enough to be a menace even for wolves. The coyote's timid, finicky nature made them a hassle to deal with, and their all too overestimated confidence. Leaves crunched beneath her paws as she trotted along, her grey and tan moddled coat nearly invisible against the tan and grey foreground. Her ridge was high, and her fur scruffy as could be, her eyes narrowed and dark.

The trotting, low coyote marked the edge of Jall Tribe, and she was the first canine that the wolf and the saluki came across as they began to smell the strong, mixed scents of a close ahead tribe.

"What?" Afore said, "Surprised I wasn't lying that there was a tribe here?"

"More surprised that you managed to find it."

"I'm good with these woods," he said, a little smug. A little ways ahead were tall, pale logs roped together with strong tan twine, forming a formidable birch wall along the camp of Jall Tribe. Before the wall was a short, gangly coyote. She was even smaller than Laika. The grey and tan coyote trotted ahead and towards Afore and Laika, who gave one another a small, worried glance.

The coyote introduced herself, "I am Oona, wandering trader. Right now, I am working alongside the Jall Tribe. How can I assist?"

Laika whispered to Afore, "She seems suspiciously formal."

"Well," he spoke quietly, "She's not really a part of the tribe, just a hire, so she may not be from here."

"And what is she, anyways? A dog?"

"She's a coyote. Her scent is familiar to one. And besides, look at her."

Oona cleared her throat, nose crinkled a little in distaste, "Yes, I'm a coyote. And again, why are you two here?"

A little flustered, Afore spoke, "We're seeking to trade."

"Trade?" The coyote scoffed, large, triangular ears flicked sideways.

"Yes. Well, we have this situation," the wolf said, lifting his head a little, and allowing the rope around his throat to wiggle. "We need to trade for a cutting stone."

The coyote smirked, amused at their situation, "A cutting stone..." she tsked, grey agouti tail waving, "Lucky you, wolf, I am a trader and happen to have one. What can you offer?"

Laika spoke then, taking a step forward, "We have a bear pelt. A good one, too. We can lead you to it. It's a lot to carry so far, but it's just an hour away." Afore glanced her way with approval, as if to say, good thinking. And then, he flicked his ear and grumbled a little, as if to say, why didn't we grab that on our way out?

Laika side-eyed his frustrated look in return.