The two walked for hours, talking on and off as they did so. Paws slowly became sore again, and even after a good night's rest, the aches in their spines and bones would not relent. Afore followed his powerful nose, and a flurry of strong smells led him straight to Castimun Tribe. It was only a few hours' walk. Although, they were still no more than a few hours walk from Veal Tribe; after arriving at Jall Tribe, they had walked to Castimun, which was perpendicular to Veal Tribe, or riding along next to it. Unknown to both Afore and Laika, Veal Tribe held a strong alliance with Castimun Tribe. After Veal Tribe's precious wolf had gone missing, Castimun was the first to hear of it, and with a sly offer that they could not resist: one of the wolf's pups would go directly to them if they were to catch him.
And so, it was not unusual that the Castimun area was heavily guarded and scouted, patrols lurking every corner. Afore had expected a situation similar to what they had been met with at Jall Tribe: a tribe caught off guard, and guided by greed and lust. But Castimun Tribe was guided by power and a strong alliance bond, proving them to be calculated, cold, and intelligent. And so, just about as soon as the scent of Castimun began drifting along on the wind, so did the strong scent of a nearby scouting group.
Afore and Laika both caught a whiff of them from somewhere upwind; and both subsequently hid, crouched behind some bare brambles, where they crawled quietly and slowly. But it was a shame that the spring had not yet grown in any green on the branches of bushes and thistles, as there wasn't much to obscure the sharp ebony and bright orange of the saluki. The wolf, on the other hand, with his grey and auburn agouti pelt, seemed nearly invisible against the grey and brown branches and leaves.
They etched forward quietly, their stomachs nearly touching the ground as they crawled. It wasn't long before their scent met the noses of the nearby scouts, and the searching party came into view. It was made up of four domestic canines. One was a large kangal-type dog, a female, rusty orange in pelt, lighter along her stomach and paws. Beside her were two males, slender, arched, and surely quick in speed, like short-haired versions of Laika. Although, they were plain grey, and not pointed in colour. Greyhounds, perhaps. One of them had light brindle stripes along his back like a tiger.
The last canine with them was a medium-sized mutt, red in pelt and with large, wide ears, one being halfway down. They were a mix of stocky and slender, as if a strong warrior dog had been combined with one of the speedy sighthounds. To Afore, they looked primitive, like a Dingo or perhaps a Jindo. The red dog wore a strap over their back, lined with pouches of leather. Afore wondered what was in them. The wolf and the saluki both stopped their movement and kept still, terrified of being caught. Hearts in their chests, paws sweating as all hell... fear, panic. It was all too familiar, and not any less unsettling.
Afore was overwhelmed with guilt, all at once and with suddenness. How could he have put Laika in harm's way? And how pathetic of him to do so! And for what? He knew, then, that he had been nothing but selfish. He knew, then, that he had to protect Laika, no matter the cost, to make up for putting her in this situation. Afore had just assumed that Castimun Tribe would fight him, and then be on their way, leaving them alone, just like with Jall Tribe; Afore knew he could handle a few more dogs. But he hadn't been expecting a scout, especially not this far away from Castimun Tribe itself. His mind was plagued with worry, heart pounding. He feared for Laika more than for himself.
The scouts slowed as they neared the wolf's unmistakeable stench, and the scent of a female with him. All four dogs whiffed the air in different directions, nostrils flared. It was the primitive red dog who first was able to locate Afore by his smell, and who then turned with fiery brown eyes to the shrubs in which the two hid in silence, only a few feet away.
It took a moment, but sure enough, Afore and Laika were seen. Well, Laika was seen, but Afore's strong, male musk gave him away quickly.
"There," the dog said, loud and clear, "The wolf is over there!"
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Dog On A Rope
العاطفيةEnter the world of Anertha, a planet in which dogs rule and wolves are on the bottom of the food chain. A wolf finds himself literally roped into the life of a dog, with a dog he wants nothing to do with. And she doesn't seem to like him much, eithe...
