Vigilante PAW

Chapter Thirty-Nine: Mourning Morning

Fall seemed to finally be in full swing, the crisp temperature of the morning chilling the air, as well as the flora and fauna that littered the forest. Every breeze that brushed by no longer carried the scent of sandy beaches, no longer carried the warm and sunny sensation that summer once provided. And despite it being the morning, the sun hadn't completely risen just yet, the sky above still dark. Though, two spotlights seemed to cut through that darkness as it proceeded forward.

The faint creaking sounds of Everest's slightly damaged snowcat rolling into the Canine Valley woke many dogs from their peaceful slumber. Sitting within the snowcat, four silent pups only paid mind to their surroundings, unsure of what to say or do. Everest, the driver of this vehicle, stared ahead, eyes unblinking, expression unchanging. The former mountain specialist's mind persistently replayed those same few words she had heard her friend shout just before leaving himself behind. Those few words haunted her, bringing tears to her eyes that seemed almost impossible to cease.

Beside her was Rocky. For once, he wasn't entirely sure what the next move was. For once in his life, he had no idea. No plan. No moment of sudden clarity. All that plagued his mind was his inability to think of something when it mattered most. How could others say he was the smartest of them all when he was unable to think of a plan to save his friend? The very same friend who he swore to stand by, no matter the circumstances. The mongrel looked at the grass as they rolled forward. bending under the weight of the vehicle. His eyes focused on the grass, narrowing slightly. How pathetic.

Anya, meanwhile, had no idea what was going on. Had their friend, the leader of their little team, just made a noble sacrifice so that they could get away? Why would he do something like that? They all could have escaped together, right? Just as that question was posed in her mind, the Shiba remembered what Rocky had told them before their daring escape. About how Everest's snowcat had taken damage while they pursued that mustache-twirling bad guy. She remembered that well, especially how it sent her airborne in seconds. The mention of Humdinger did make her think a little more, though. Her head turned slightly, the black and white fur of a familiar Dalmatian entering her peripherals.

Hood, not noticing the pair of eyes that were suddenly interested in him, remained just as quiet as the other pups around him. He didn't want to face the music that was his technical partnership with Mayor Humdinger, an individual he encountered long ago. Never would he have expected meeting the mischievous mayor once again, especially while on a mission to liberate stolen canines. What were the odds? What were the chances? The doppelganger Dalmatian looked down at his paws.

They were shaking.

Putting his paws together, the wild Dalmatian struggled to keep them from shaking. It wasn't that cold outside, was it? No, it wasn't. He wasn't shaking because of any outside forces. It wasn't the temperature. He had fur to rid that possibility. Was it because of what he felt inside? Closing his eyes, he pictured every single moment he spent in Foggy Bottom with the group. For just a moment, he could see the grinning face of another Dalmatian, reassuring Hood that he wouldn't be left behind. That none of them were to be left behind. Though, that seemed to apply for everyone on the team but the leader.

Marshall.

The snowcat finally came to a stop in front of a familiar location, the tree beside Hood's shabbily constructed hut. The four were quick to leave the vehicle, the loud silence between them greater than anything they had ever experienced. Why wouldn't it be? Especially when the one who'd usually break that silence was far away from them.

Before anything could be said, though, Hood immediately turned around and made a beeline for his little home, the door slamming shut behind the wild Dalmatian.

"Did he seriously just leave?" Everest finally spoke up, the wild Dalmatian's actions not sitting right with her, "He can't just do that after everything that happened in Foggy Bottom! We need to figure something out!"