Life as a Show Dog

Chapter 12

Three long months finally passed. That meant no more complaining from Shaylee's puppies. The first signs of winter are rolling in and Autumn meant less food. The pack was surviving and only one attack from the other camp had happened. The pack was getting ready to go. The dens were being refilled and the prey pile's scent covered. The three puppies where running around and jumping for joy at the thought of adventure. 

I walked around the camp to see that everything was going well. All of the dogs had decided to come home with me and Cloe. "I can't believe we'll get to see Hannah again!" Cloe barked as she ran up to me. "We're leaving at sunrise." I barked in reply. The camp was starting to look like nothing had ever been there. I started wiping away paw prints to do my part.

"I wonder how far your home is from the camp." Cocoa barked as I passed him. 

"Hopefully not far." Brutis yapped in reply.

"I want to go now!" Sawyer howled to Shaylee.

"In the morning." Shaylee replied.

"Do you think everyone will make the trip fine?" Scout asked me as he bounded over.

"I bet so." I simply said.

"I can't believe I will see a friendly human again!" Harvey yapped to anyone nearby.

"Me too!" Shaylee responded.

"I like the wild and all and it was a nice break from being famous on the rise. But I can't wait to see Hannah and get back to our old life." Cloe barked as I inspected her work. 

"Good job filling up this den. I can't wait to see Hannah again too. I will never forget the freedom of the wild though." I replied.

"I could use less scratches too." Cloe added in.

I barked in laughter then continued inspecting and doing my part in work.

------------------------------------------

"It's sunrise!" Sam howled, waking up the whole camp.

"Alright, alright." Brutis grumbled.

I stood up and stumbled out of my den. After a big yawn I walked over to Shaylee and her pups.

"Are you and the pups ready?" I asked

"Yes! We are!" Shep answered for Shaylee. Shaylee nodded her head to reply for herself, her eyes full of amusement. 

"Lets go, lets go, lets go!" Sawyer yapped frantically.

"Pups." Harvey mumbled nearby. 

The pack started gathering around my den to wait for my order to leave. "This is it." I told myself.

"No turning back now." Scout mumbled next to me.

"Is everyone ready?" I howled over the noise of chatting dogs.

"Yes!" They chorused.

"Lets go!" I barked loudly.

I lead the dogs out of the camp and through the forest, very quickly we came across a quiet road. 

"We were coming from this way when we were coming to the camp." Scout said as he pointed his muzzle in a direction. "Lets go back that way then."

"Sound good to me." I panted.

"But what if we run into the dog-nappers?!" Cloe barked up to us.

"Then we'll go around them." Brutis said for me. "And if they do reach us then I'll gladly take care of them." He growled.

"Yep." I added on.

"Fine." Was all Cloe said.

We traveled on the side of the road for quite some time, only avoiding a few cars.

"Didn't it take 5 days to reach camp?" Cocoa yapped at nightfall. 

"Yep, and who knows how long till we reach home after that."

Many moans sounded after that. "Come on guys." Shaylee spoke out.

"Ya! Even us pups could go four months till you would hear us complaining." Shep yapped above the noise. 

"Sure." Scout mumbled and the two of us laughed.

"They have been complaining and arguing sense they where three weeks old." He continued.

"Yep, some puppies your raising." I glanced at Scout and Laughter danced in his eyes.

"Well, it's more like Shaylee's raising them, and she's doing fine."

"Yep."

"Are we going to stop soon? We are all hungry and tired." Harvey barked.

"Ya!" Many dogs barked in agreement.

"Alright." I barked back. We walked back into the forest and found a nice spot under some trees. 

"It's cold!" Sawyer complained.

"Here we go again." Scout growled.

"Why is autumn so cold!" Sam added on.

"It's only going to get colder." Cocoa grumbled.

"No! Why!?" Shep howled.

"Be quiet young ones, the seasons change for a reason we do not know. Now be quiet and sleep, you'll warm up soon. Please don't complain more or argue tonight, we all need to sleep." Shaylee whispered to her three sons.

"Okay." They chorused. 

--------------------------------------------

Morning came and a hunting group came back with some prey. 

"All scrawny." Brutis complained.

"At least it's something." Scout growled to Brutis.

"Yep." I agreed.

After everyone ate we got back on our feet and walked back to the road. We walked and talked and occasionally stopped to hunt and get a drink. We walked more until sunset came again. The puppies complained some more and Shaylee did her usual of quieting them down. We ate and slept then woke up ready for the third long day of walking.