Thrills

by K. T. Tomb

  When he shifted his weight, Ula stirred, opening one eye. She blinked once or twice and stood, stretching out her paws in front of her.

  Shadow stood and wandered away for several moments to find a shadowed corner.

  Ula began to nudge the other dogs with her nose to rouse them. Goldie woke up, followed by Switch. Ula had to tug on Red’s ear to get his attention, but finally, he roused with a sleepy yawn.

  “Time to wake up and look alert, boys,” Ula said. “Today, we claim our territory from the Mulligan Gang.”

  “Shouldn’t we eat first?” Red suggested with a sleepy grin.

  “No.” Shadow stepped back into the light. “If we fight—if it comes to that—we fight hungry. We run at them with fire in our eyes and with nothing to slow us down.”

  Ula turned, nodding her head to Shadow.

  “What difference does it make?” Goldie asked. “Seems like we need to have our strength going into it.”

  “We’ll eat afterward,” Shadow said. His experience had taught him that the hunger made for a keener hunter. Ula knew as much, too.

  The three dogs looked toward Ula for final confirmation.

  “He is one of the wolf pack. He’s seen things we couldn’t even imagine,” Ula said. “We will defer to him for this fight. He knows what he is talking about.”

  The five dogs walked in a line, keeping to the shadows that were still plentiful in the early light of morning. Shadow considered the small makeshift pack of which he had now become an important part. He had awakened feeling that he was almost home, even though he wasn’t. And he realized it was because he was, again, part of a canine family, even if it would only be for a day. Though he didn’t relish the idea of fighting another pack of dogs, he looked forward to the wildness, the sheer unpredictability of life on his own—and then, after he helped Ula’s pack, he would depart for the forest, for the mountains, and not look back. This, he knew to be true with every wolf howl he had ever aimed at the sky.

  They walked onward toward the territory overlap area, with Ula leading the way. After turning the corner toward the bare lot where they expected to meet the Mulligan dog pack, Ula dropped back to pace alongside Shadow.

  “The others have never been part of a confrontation before,” she said, only loud enough for him to hear. He understood what she meant. Red was an older dog, and his senses wouldn’t be what they once were. Goldie and Switch, he sensed, had plenty of confidence, but he had seen how easily they deferred to Ula. It wouldn’t take much for them to give into their submissive natures against the other dogs and go belly up. Ula sensed what he was thinking and nodded. “We need you, Shadow. We need your wolf instincts in this fight.”

  “But Ula,” he whispered, “I’m not a wolf. As gracious as you have been, I am but a dog with a wolf’s mind.”

  She nudged him with her snout, playful but serious. “You are more wolf than any of us,” she said. “The dogs cannot beat us with you as leader of this fight.”

  Shadow did not know how to tell Ula this, but other than minor scraps in his wolf pack to establish the order of dominance, he had never really fought another canine, not at this level, which could be a fight to the death. And Ula… had.

  They rounded the corner to the vacant lot. The building on one side cast a long shadow across the grassy plot and a chain-link fence ran along the other side.

  Shadow examined the area and sized it up within seconds. They saw the other dogs across the way, sitting along the edge of the lot. Young dogs, all of them. Too young, Shadow determined. They exuded confidence and authority. That would be their downfall, Shadow determined, because in a fight, they would not fight as a pack, but as individuals. His experience in the forest had taught him that above all else, overconfidence would often be the downfall. As would a lack of discipline.

  They took their places on the near side of the lot. Goldie to his left. Ula next to Shadow. Switch and Red on the other side of their leader. Shadow sensed in Ula a heightened awareness, her senses honed and reflexes sharp to any surprises. He had no doubt that she had learned how to fight during her time as a bait dog.

  The other Alpha stepped forward, a mangy shepherd with steely yellow eyes. “I see you have added to your ranks,” he called across to Ula.

  “I see your ranks remain the same, Brick,” Ula said, calling him by name and matching his tone as she stepped forward.

  Shadow could tell that she was flaunting her influence at having another member join the pack. What they don’t know can’t hurt us, he thought to himself.

  Ula and Brick walked forward and began to slowly circle each other, throwing taunts.

  “So, where did you find this guy with the curly hair?” Brick asked. “Is this overgrown poodle mutt one of your shelter dogs?”

  Shadow cringed. Was that what he really was? He’d really no idea, despite the curly hair, and now, an enemy had just told him what he probably was.

  “Pampered and spoiled like the others of his kind, I bet.” Brick continued his taunting.

  “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” Ula said. “I wouldn’t underestimate him.”

  “And why not?” Brick circled her with stiffened legs and the hair up on the back of his neck. “He’s not much more than any of the others. An old man, two boys and a She-Alpha. My guys are lean. They have reason to fight.”

  “It doesn’t have to come to a fight,” Ula said.

  “Why shouldn’t it?” the other shepherd said with a sneer.

  “Because, he’s Shadow,” Ula said.

  Shadow was surprised when the shepherd recoiled at the name, glancing back at the others who reacted in a similar fashion.

  “Shadow, the wolf dog?” one of Brick’s pack mates asked with disbelief dripping from his voice. “This mop is the feral dog that should have us trembling in our tracks?”

  Shadow could smell the adrenaline spike that coursed through them. Fear.

  Brick growled a warning over his shoulder, trying to rally the pack to keep up the show of strength.

  They’ve heard of me, Shadow thought with some surprise. But what have they heard? He remained silent to see what would happen next.

  “Enough talk,” the shepherd said. “I don’t care if you have the entire forest’s wolf population at your beck and call! That territory behind the steak house is ours!” With that, he lunged at Ula. The shepherd had a clear size advantage over Ula, but she’d predicted his lunge and dodged beneath him, skittering beneath his feet as his teeth snapped together on thin air.

  At the cue of the leaders, all of the other dogs tore across the lot, clashing into each other.

  Shadow dove toward Brick, knocking him off his feet as Shadow crashed against his side like a mountain goat. Dust kicked up as the fighting rose up all around. Brick quickly regained his footing and turned back toward Shadow.

  Ula was momentarily forgotten as Shadow’s attention turned toward his new foe. Shadow’s mind connected with ease with the other pack members and he directed them with a mind link. He sensed Red holding his own against the two smaller dogs. Goldie had one by the throat already and, against his gentler golden retriever nature, he was fighting for the right of his pack to feed in this prime territory.

  Ula had circled around to draw one of the others off of Red, who seemed to be having a bit of trouble. Switch leaped at the heels of the other, dodging and diving against the snapping jaws. Very suddenly, Shadow flipped the other Alpha on his back, just like he’d taken down prey as part of a pack. The idea was always to get the prey off their feet.

  Shadow had managed to get the other dog’s shoulders to the ground, forcing him to roll over in a submissive position. He held him there, snarling, but not wanting to fight to the death. That was it. The battle had been won before any serious damage had been done to either side. As in wolf pack battles, once either Alpha was down, the fight should end quickly.

  Brick’s eyes flashed in anger, even as his rollover admitted his defeat.

  For anoth
er moment, Shadow stood over him snarling, then stepped back to let the dog retreat.

  Brick slunk away to the other side of the lot. Seeing their leader admit defeat made the rest of the rival pack pull back, gathering behind him, their tails low and their spirits broken to the point where their heads hung almost to the ground.

  Ula stepped forward to the middle of the lot with her head up and her chest out.

  “Keep walking away, Brick, and take your friends with you,” she said. “This territory is ours now.”

  The shepherd tossed his head toward them and Ula stood her ground, even as blood flowed from a wound. “Looks like you took a hit or two.”

  As the other dogs disappeared down the street, Ula turned toward Shadow. Goldie and Switch stood alongside him, gazing toward Red, who lay prone on a patch of dry grass.

  Ula and Shadow rushed to his side. Shadow saw an ugly gash along Red’s side where he lay bleeding profusely.

  “Oh, no,” Goldie whispered from behind them as they stepped closer.

  “Don’t worry,” Ula told Red. “If we can get you to the alley, you’ll be all right.”

  Red lifted his head, wincing at the movement. “I’m not going anywhere,” he said, his voice a thin rasp. “Just to sleep and never wake again.”

  “Nonsense, Red,” Ula said. She pressed her nose against his side, trying to nudge him. “Get up while you can.”

  “Ula, stop,” he said, pulling from a strength he had once had. “I’ve been an Alpha, too, you know. You must defer to me this time.”

  “You were an Alpha?” Ula said.

  “Yes,” Red said. “But you already knew that, didn’t you?”

  Ula nodded.

  “You’ve been a good leader, Ula,” Red said. “And Shadow, having you in the pack made me feel like I was running through the woods again, just as I did as a young dog. Thank you both for that.” He turned his attention back to Ula. “Now, listen. We made this dog a promise. It’s time to get him home to the forest. To his wolf pack.”

  “Of course, Red,” Ula said.

  Red said to Shadow, “You showed me that you are a wolf. You fought today like a wolf. Don’t ever let anyone tell you differently. Okay? You promise?”

  “Okay,” Shadow said, his voice thick. “I promise.”

  “You better,” Red said. “Now, didn’t we just win the territory? What are you hanging around here for? Go get some of that steak and...” They saw his eyes go dark.

  “Red is gone,” Ula said. “He was a good dog. A good friend.”

  Goldie and Switch both lay on either side of him, laying their heads alongside his. Ula stood over him, in a guarding stance. Not a one of them went for the steak bones in the trash barrels outside the back of the steakhouse.

  Shadow did the only thing he knew to do at a time like this. He stood in front of Red and uttered a low, mournful howl that rose into the sky, giving a voice to all of their grief.

  ***

  A few hours later, they returned from the alley behind the steak house, their bellies full from the restaurant’s leavings of the night before. The meal had been tasty and well-earned, but the passing of Red had cast a solemn mood over all of them.

  Shadow knew that the next goal would be to return to his wolf pack family. Ula’s pack was diminished now, and weakened. He longed to see his own family again, but the idea of leaving his new friends at a definite disadvantage against another possible tangle with the Mulligan dog pack made him feel a sense of sadness and regret that he couldn’t quite define. He had never felt loyalty to anyone, other than to his own pack. The bond he had with Snow, Chase, and Blue couldn’t and wouldn’t ever be replicated. But he glanced around at Goldie, Switch—and especially Ula—and found that he had formed a different kind of bond with them. They had become a pack, all different breeds, but they had come together, able to share the mind link in much the same way that he had with his own wolf pack.

  “Deep thoughts?” Ula asked.

  “It’s going to be a big day,” he said. “We have a long way to go to the forest.”

  Ula nodded and they silently walked along.

  The city had awakened and more humans appeared here and there, prompting the dogs to stay even more toward the shadows. They headed toward the edge of the city. Finally, Shadow had been able to orient himself and knew which path would lead them to his grove.

  Ula and the others would accompany him as far as the forest’s edge, but at that time, he would insist that they turn back. They were city dogs and he didn’t want to subject them to the dangers of the forest. Especially Ula, though perhaps she could more than hold her own here. But he didn’t know if the wolf pack would accept his dog friends and let them interact in a friendly way. He doubted it.

  Ahead, he saw a bend in the road. He knew that beyond it, the houses would thin out and eventually disappear altogether. Beyond that, he saw the green expanse of the forest, rising up the side of the mountain. He lifted his head to take in the welcoming scent. They walked onward, and Shadow’s heart swelled with more hope with each step. Finally, they came to the small clearing alongside the road. They had been walking for a long while and the sun was directly overhead.

  Shadow turned to Ula.

  “This is where I go on alone,” he said. “Don’t try to follow. It’s too dangerous. I have the love and trust of my brothers and sisters in the pack, but none of you do.”

  She gave him a long look, understanding why they had to part. She peered into his eyes without a word. In her eyes, he read sad acceptance that this was it for them. He would never see any of them again, he knew.

  He turned to the others. “I’ll never forget any of you. Goldie, Switch, I’ll always remember you as pack mates. Dog pack mates. But where I will go now, you cannot. I don’t fit into the city. I only hope they will remember me and take me back.”

  They both lowered their heads as a sign of respect to him, and then backed away, giving enough distance for Shadow and Ula to have a moment of privacy.

  “I wish I didn’t have to go, Ula,” Shadow said.

  “I wish that, too,” Ula replied. “But I understand why you do.”

  “I will not be boxed into someone’s backyard, with my only pack member a fat, indifferent white cat. And I will not be adorned with ribbons tied in my fur by a human child. And I will not eat dried pebbles of dog kibble. Most of all, I will not have a collar around my neck and be jerked around at the end of a strap. I will not be submissive to humans. No, I will not.”

  “You could stay. Live on the street with us. Forage for food with us. Protect us. There are only three of us now in the pack. If you stayed, you would be—you must know that you would be my Alpha,” she said.

  He took in some air. Shadow was not certain he had ever felt more sadness in his heart than he did in that moment, as he feared—no, as he knew—that he would never see her again. He knew he could no longer delay and he touched her nose with his, lowering his head.

  She pressed her face against his shoulder, and whispered, “Goodbye, Shadow.” With that final phrase, she turned and bounded off down the road. Goldie and Switch followed and Shadow turned to walk into the forest alone.

  Chapter Fourteen

  As Shadow walked toward his home, the familiarity of the trees around him lifted his spirits.

  He recognized where he was, in relation to the grove, and decided to go there first. He didn’t expect the pack to be there, but it wouldn’t hurt to check. Then, he would go even deeper into the forest to see about his favorite escape, the old farm, ‘the place of the wall’ as his pack mates called it. He took in a deep breath of the clear forest air, a refreshing difference from the acrid, exhaust-laced air of the city.

  The sound of the dancing creek met his ears, and he picked up his pace to find the stream. Once he did, he stopped long enough to have a long, quenching drink. The cool, clear water strengthened his resolve and made him feel a little bit closer to happy. He dunked his head into the water and shook himself d
ry, the droplets flying away, sparkling in the sun.

  The grove was just ahead. He recognized the formation of the trees, but even before he made it to the familiar clearing, he could sense that something was amiss. He neared and saw a strange tape wrapped around some of the trees. He was unsure what they meant, but he could smell the imprint of humans all over the area. He realized that humans had marked some trees in a way that wolves didn’t. But their message was clear: They were claiming the trees and he could smell human hands all over them. Some of the smaller trees and underbrush had been cleared away. A strange metal machine stood near the entrance to what was once his den, where he had once slept in warm comfort next to his mother and the other cubs.

  A rising panic formed inside his stomach. He circled the area, taking in the impressions he gathered from the smells. Humans had come and would come again. Eventually, they would completely destroy the area. At least, he thought with some comfort, at least I don’t sense the smell of death. Not here, anyway.

  So, even though his pack was gone, at least they had been alive when they had last been here. He sniffed around, trying to find one particular scent that seemed to be missing. He tried to explain it away in his mind that she had to be safe, elsewhere.

  He was glad they were gone, for their sakes, but sad for his own. For he had come all this way, hoping to be welcomed back into the pack, but they were not even here.

  Shadow took off toward the old farm. He didn’t know what he would find there, but he had to see with his own eyes what had become of it. When he crested the hill to the place where he used to run and play with ease, he didn’t recognize the area. He looked at the trees around him, and knew he was in the correct part of the woods.

  However, the place where the rock wall used to be was no longer there. The whole place had the earth turned over and flattened out. The trees that should have been ahead of him had been pulled completely out of the ground and carried away. He wondered what kind of terrible machine had done this. The land had been smoothed over and a large expanse was exposed to the sky. Most of the forest had been completely cleared away. The edge of the clearing also had that strange tape tied around the trunks of the trees. Shadow cowered at the vision before him. The humans had marked their territory everywhere with their tape tied around trees and their smells and their destruction.