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Post by Squeeji on Jan 6, 2007 23:19:49 GMT -5
It was simply just another silent evening upon the overgrown path known as Dante's Pass. Being the northern most part, there was a very close connection between the cobbles stones there, and the ones that were apart of Hallow Village.
Which made it a very good place for a feral dog to hide out and raise a set of pups. Within means to swipe food from the local humans, but wild enough to hide from them when the came on a hunting party. A perfect silent refuge. However, quiet as it was, there was trouble in this canine hamlet.
"Boyssssss!" a shrill howl passed over the thickets and brambles, before ending in a fit of coughing. Rusty had not been amused by his adolescent sons as of late, they were going too wild and unruly. Not to mention, just...well...they were just them, he guessed. "Boyssss! Get over here, now! I am not joking, this is not a game!" The small copper colored male kept barking, picking up with irritation with every breath.
***
Elsewhere:
Hank had been practicing fighting on a twig when he had heard the very loud, very ornery but familiar voice pierce the air. It made the pup stop what he was doing, sure, but soured his expression throughly. Oh he could hear his father just fine, but didn't feel exactly as though he'd respond to the old man straight away.
The yellow pup growled as he let go of his stick. "Jeez what's up with Pop?" after hearing him yell for awhile it did seem that his dad was a little more short-tempered than usual. Hank's face contorted as he rolled his eyes... he couldn't hide forever.
"Hey! Dean-o! Pop wants us!" Hank atleast -tried- to get ahold of his little brother.
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Post by darkkenchild on Jan 6, 2007 23:29:13 GMT -5
Dean had been exploring the area around their home, trying to understand what was going on around him. Though he wouldn't admit it, he was also pretending to be a detective working on a difficult murder case. The 'case' had grown cold, and his leads consisted only of an ant colony he had found and a broken twig. Frustrated he climbed deeper into the underbrush, hoping he'd find something new to hold his short attentions. He was, unfortunately out of range of his father's call, but not from his brother's call.
"What's that Hank?" Dean crawled from within a rotten tree stump. "What would pop want?" He tilted his head to the side a somewhat curious look on his face.
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Post by Squeeji on Jan 6, 2007 23:44:41 GMT -5
Hank just shrugged as his brother showed up. "I dunno...he's got a burr in his butt or something." the older pup seemed apathetic about the whole situation, taking a moment to scratch at an itch behind his ear.
"I think he wants to talk to us or something stupid like that..." he didn't seem one bit enthused about this whole thing, as of late he and his father had been at odds with one another. Hank went towards where he had heard Rusty's voice. "Lets just go..."
After awhile of making their way off the main path, Hank paused. He had found their father, but he looked well..."Gee Pop you look horrible...what happened?"
Hank's initial appraisal wasn't too far off, Rusty looked pretty bad, or rather, worse than usual. His face was matted with snot, and the older dog certainly had a cough. "Boys...your father is probably and most likely dying." The old red dog replied, very calmly, almost coolly logical as though this was nothing more than another obstacle in his already pathetic life.
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Post by darkkenchild on Jan 6, 2007 23:50:32 GMT -5
Dean looked intently at his brother and followed the more athletic pup along the path. "I wonder what's bothering pop, maybe..." He paused when he saw their father. "Ouch. Hank's right, pop. You look terrible."
He sat on his haunches as his father spoke and he leaned forward to hear better.
"No way, pop. I'm sure you'll be fine. What's wrong? Are you sick?" Dean leaned closer, trying to get a better look at his father. "Is there something we can do?"
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Post by sarhea on Jan 7, 2007 9:45:02 GMT -5
Things had been unusually quiet in the small village known as Hallow, and Chase was bored out of her mind. She'd found that the humans there had not really noticed her one bit, which was fine by her, and had made her more comfortable to be there. But now, especially the past few days, the human activity had been unusually slow. Many houses and shops were closed up, like many had left. She didn't understand that it was the middle of winter at a time during human holidays. Even the dogs that inhabited the place were not out and about much.
So Chase had taken herself outside the village, curiosity had grabbed her attention when she spotted the old road, overgrown with dead grass, at the south end of the village. She stood there at the beginning of it, peering down the trail. For the first part, it was easy to see, but further down, in the evening sun, it grew darker as the trees closed in closer to it...it looked like an excellent place to explore, she thought, and began trotting down the path. The cool winter wind genitally whispered through the underbrush and the trees, and as she got closer to the darkening part of the trail, suddenly began to rethink exploring at night.
Then a scent caught her nose-the scent of a dog. Her nose hit it the trail, and soon found the scent trail...heading off into the underbrush-it was fresh, not even a day old...someone else was exploring, she thought, her apprehension shoved aside and excitement growing. She turned off the path, hunting for the maker of the scent. It was not long before the shrill howl echoed through the forest, from somewhere behind her, a little distance off...a fathers calling his boys....
Her head cocked in curiosity as she listened to the call, debating on whether or not to go check it out...there was something in the call that sounded distressed....then suddenly, from in front and to the side of her, she heard a creature moving through the underbrush. She spun in her tracks, an uncontrollable shiver overcoming her-not of fear, not of excitement, just a shiver. She stood silent as a statue for a moment, unable to move, but then she came to her senses and headed in the direction of the call, the same direction the creature closer to her was traveling.
Now she heard two animals moving, and they crossed the path ahead of her. As she emerged from the brush, she barley caught a glimpse of a brownish colored tail disappearing into the brush on the other side. she continued on, in hot pursuit of whatever she was chasing. She didn't know what made her stop before a large patch of brush and undergrowth, but she did...her quarry was in there....something felt wrong. She preceded very quietly.
From behind a small tree, Chase watched the scene unfold before her, her black ears perked forward in curiosity and concern...two young males, one a heavier, stockier yellow and cream and a lean brown one sat near an older red colored male, most likely their father. And he looked terrible...very sick....Chase caught her breath when the father announced to his boys that he thought he was dying. Oh how terrible, she thought, and remembered her own father. she missed her father, and would just be tore up inside if he'd told her he was dying....she felt so bad for the boys.
For now, she stayed in hiding....something compelled her to stay put against her normal unconscious desire to burst into the middle of everything...
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Post by Squeeji on Jan 7, 2007 12:04:00 GMT -5
Hank sniffed a bit as he looked over his dad more throughly, the old dog did look pretty sick. Though Rusty was never a very thick looking beast, he seemed thinner, making his form look emaciated. But slowly he sat up to his paw and puffed. He was incredibly temperamental with his sons.
"No Dean I am pretty sure that I'm taking in my final breathes." his words were certainly short, as though he were resisting the urge to nip at one of them. Though at least this time he had gotten his younger pup's name right. Rusty's voice was calm, but his ears laid pinned to his head, he was bothered. "but you are correct, I am ill, though without proper care i will die."
Hank had already taken to silence, but he subtlety tried to pull his brother back, if their father was sick, well, he could make them sick, right? He didn't want Dean to die because of their stupid sick pop..."Well what are we supposed to do?" The yellow pup finally spoke out, his face was a mask of worry and irritation, he didn't like Rusty, but he did love his Dad..."We can't take care of you..."
The old red mutt gave his sons a sly grin. "On the contrary boys...you can be the very things that may save my life." He lifted a small paw and etched into the dirt. Whatever was this old crazy dog doing?
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Post by darkkenchild on Jan 7, 2007 14:57:30 GMT -5
Dean ignored his brother's attempt to pull him back and stood his ground over his father's form. "Hank's right, pop. There isn't much we can do, I don't know how to fix this sort of thing."
Dean looked nervous and somewhat ashamed at his inability to help, that is until he heard his father say that they could help. His ears perked up and he eyed his father's scratching of the ground with an enthused and curious look. "What's this pop? Is it a map?" He leaned closer to the etchings.
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Post by sarhea on Jan 7, 2007 15:30:19 GMT -5
Chase watched the scene playing out before her with conserned eyes. For once the young dog's twitchy form was perfectly still. The two boys were concerned for their father, as they shoud be, the poor older dog looked mighty terrible. She watched and listened as she heard the father tell the boys that they had a chance to save him, and then he'd begun to scratch on the ground.
She inched her body forward carefully and quietly so as to see what the old dog was doing. A prickly leaf stuck straight up her nose, sending her into a fit of sneezes...oh crud, she thought, dropping to the ground, trying to hide herself. but she'd already exposed her position. She only hoped that the dogs were too occupied with their current situation to pay any attention to her...she tried to see what was happening, but the small tree she was behind blocked her view...
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Post by Squeeji on Jan 7, 2007 21:45:31 GMT -5
Rusty took pause at the sudden sound, there had been wolf spottings around here, and it was well known that wolves culled the weak. Though usually a very high strung mutt, he was far too sick and apathetic to start screaming again. Instead a quizzical brow lifted as his nose quivered.
"Hello, what is this?" Though he didn't move, he looked to his sons and barked. "Boys, go check that out. " He'd rather have his two strapping pups go forth into danger, he'd be ribbons against a wolf.
Hank on the other hand had none of his father's reservation. He had been looking for a reason to scamper off for about five minutes ago...and investigating a mystery intruder was just super keen. "Alright Pop, I'm on it." The yellow pup gestured to himself proudly and then charged a head, heedless of any danger that could be before him.
That was just the sort of dog he was...
Rusty on the other hand just shook his head.
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Post by darkkenchild on Jan 7, 2007 21:53:52 GMT -5
Dean hesitated, looking between his father and the nearby treeline. Clearly unsure of what to do, the conflict between his curiosity and his duty to his father driving him to nervousness. He finally acquiesed and followed his brother into the trees. "Yes, pop." He replied with a dejected sound to his voice. Head held low he wandered off after his brother, often looking back at his father, a worried expression splashed across his muzzle.
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Post by sarhea on Jan 7, 2007 22:22:04 GMT -5
Oh no....the father had sent the boys to look for her. She tried to back up while laying on the ground, and in the process, made more noise than her sneezing had made. She backed into another batch of shape dead branches, causing her to stifle a yelp. She threw a quick, worried glance toward where the boys were and spotted the stocky yellow pup quickly headed her way. Normally, she would have been eager to meet this group, and had not hid, but she'd been evesdropping on a personal moment in this family, and she didn't feel right about it. But she'd been caught, curse her spaztic movements, she thought.
The yellow pup had almost reached her location, and she decided that she'd save him the trouble of hunting too hard. She suddenly jumped to her feet, the yellow pup not but a few yards from her. Her ears were laid back, her tail wagging nervously between her legs, an apolegitic look in her eyes....
"I'm sorry! So sorry! I didn't mean to interrupt! I heard that howl earlier and thought someone was hurt! I didn't mean to spy!" she announced quickly and abruptly, then quickly tried to crouch back down...staying in a half sit, half stand posture.
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Post by Squeeji on Jan 8, 2007 9:46:18 GMT -5
It took Hank more than a few moments of thrashing his head back and forth to even notice the female mutt. He lacked the perception that some pups had, just too impulsive and ready to jump the gun. When he did notice her, Chase's very submissive stature, well, just plain confused the pup. With a woofling noise Hank took a quick run around of her, she wasn't a wolf, she wasn't doing anything he pictured as 'bad'...
"Gee whiz, why are you apologizing lady?" His face contorted in thought, as he wagged his tail...even if she had been spying. "I mean what were you spying on?" forgotten already was his father and the map he etched out with his paw, this seemed far more interesting than any of that. Hank's ears perked just like his curiosity.
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Post by darkkenchild on Jan 8, 2007 10:57:36 GMT -5
Dean eyed his brother with a slightly annoyed look. The blonde pup was once again being very rude and impolite. "Hello. Hank's right, no need to apologize. Public place and all." Dean looked around the woods with a nod.
"Name's Dean, Dean Venture. Nice to meet you, Miss..."
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Post by sarhea on Jan 8, 2007 11:15:09 GMT -5
Chase didn't know what to expect as the yellow pup bounded her way, and made a quick circle around her, checking her out in curiosity. She was a bit confused, as she thought she would be in trouble. She often got into trouble at home for spying on others. Now the lean brown pup was headed her way also.
"Gee whiz, why are you apologizing lady?""I mean what were you spying on?" The yellow pup spoke, full of curiosity, his tail wagging, and not long after that, the brown pup came up and spoke also "Hello. Hank's right, no need to apologize. Public place and all.""Name's Dean, Dean Venture. Nice to meet you, Miss..."
Chase brightened. She was not in trouble? This was a new one on her. She stood, her black ears perking back up, her tail wagging....
"I just thought I'd be in trouble....I always get in trouble...."she mumbled the last part, then just as quickly brightened again," Nice to meet you, Dean, and....um..." Dean had said the name Hank..."Hank?" She added. "I'm Chase." She got so caught up in the excitement of meeting new faces, then glanced back at the boy's father, remembering what's he'd said....worry came back over her features...
"Is that your dad? Is he going to be OK?" she asked the 2 boys standing in front of her.
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Post by Squeeji on Jan 8, 2007 11:38:32 GMT -5
"I just thought I'd be in trouble....I always get in trouble...."
Hank seemed to slow down a moment, but was still excited "Hey, me too." It wasn't a lie, the pup was always getting yelled at by his dad, and by Dean. The pup was in a pretty good mood all things considered, and strutted around a little.
"Yeah, he's not doing so good, he thinks he's gonna die, and pop's pretty smart. He's probably right." The pup drug a paw against the dirt sheepishly, as though it were something he didn't want to think about. And it was surprising how fast he could just forget something like that.
"Name's Dean, Dean Venture. Nice to meet you, Miss..."
The yellow pup turned and nipped at his brother, "You are such monumental dork." Hank sometimes could just not understand or tolerate his brother's constant sucking up. He was ready for a tussle even in the presence of new company. Etiquette wasn't exactly Hank's strong point.
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