Dog On A Rope

18 - Family

Laika awoke some warm, sunny morning, an ache in her bones, but hope fluttering about in her chest. She slowly opened her eyes, stretched long like a cat, and then yawned widely (also like a cat). Actually, in watching her, Afore had never quite noticed just how cat-like she was. Not in personality, but certainly in looks. Slender, agile, and fast? Those were definitely all cat traits.

Thinking about this, Afore chuckled a little, and Laika stood and looked at him with a harsh glare, saying, "What's so funny?"

"You remind me so much of a cat," he said with a smile. He should have been quaking, sweating like a river, terrified that she would look at him and say that she knew what he did, and that she would never forgive him. He should have been terrified that he would be found out as soon as she smelled the morning air.

But somehow, he wasn't. He did have this sharp pang of guilt running down his spine; but aside from that, he was calm, he was content. He was normal, happy even. Whenever he was with Laika, how else could he possibly feel? He would always be happy and contented with her. He would never be scared nor worried while he was with her. And then he shook his head a little, laughing about that, too.

"I do not! Cats stink," Laika said, sneering sarcastically. Her tail waved in the air, it's fringed hair gliding back and forth, back and forth like a delicate flag or a horse's mane. "And you stink, too," she said, wrinkling her nose. "You couldn't wait for us to find a river or something?"

"No," Afore chuckled, "Sorry! I didn't want to wake you up. You were sleeping so soundly."

"Yeah, but now we have got a huge marker behind us screaming, 'hey everybody, look! A wolf was here!'"

Afore scoffed, "Oh, trust me. It will be fine. I don't think anyone is following us, anyways. I would have smelled them by now."

Laika laughed, "I know. I'm just teasing. Let's get a move on. I really hope we find a tribe today. Have you ever been this far before?"

"Yes, actually," Afore said, glancing away. His mind couldn't seem to stop repeating her words. I really hope we find a tribe today. Would it really be such a bad thing if they didn't find a tribe?

"Oh yeah?" Laika's loud, perky voice pulled him out from his thoughts, "So you know what tribes we will come across?"

"Not exactly... I avoided tribes basically at all costs whenever I travelled. You know... a wolf, and all that."

She nodded, "I get it."

"I do know of some of the tribes in this area. One tribe is farther up, past Jall tribe, and is known as Malengarde."

"Malengarde? And do you know if that is a good tribe, or a bad tribe?"

Afore chuckled a bit, "Hard to know what you mean by that. No tribe is good or bad."

Laika stretched again, then stood upright, "Suppose that's true. Either way, Malengarde may be our best chance at trading for a cutting stone." Afore couldn't seem to shake this weighted guilt. He shook out his coat, as if that would rinse him of his faults. Laika continued, "It's still so interesting that you know so many tribes."

"Maybe," Afore said, looking at Laika, "We could take a dip in the river?"

"You must feel dirty," Laika smirked, "After pissing on the ground like that! I mean seriously, you couldn't have waited?"