Loki the Lockdown Dog

Redcoat

9. Redcoat

Back home in the garden, I tried my conversational skills on the magpies. Their clicks and shrieks were difficult to comprehend, but I managed to call out "Hello magpies" in my best rendition.

"Trapped dog," they screamed and cackled and laughed to themselves. Magpies are known for being clever and cheeky, so I didn't take too much notice. They were right of course, for I was trapped in Benedict's tiny world.

It was several days before Benedict risked letting me off the lead again, and I made sure I did nothing to provoke his ire.

Of course I now had to traipse through the woods on a lead. The magpies were there, cackling to each other, so I barked up at them to say that I was free!

"Dog on a lead," they shrieked, belittling my experience of the big wide world.

It was now well into a warm and sunny spring, and the bluebells and early purple orchids coloured the borders of the paths, each according to their name. As the days passed, the lockdown became less severe, and we were allowed out for as long as we wanted. Benedict took me on two long walks a day, and most of the time I was off the lead once more. I loved it, and started to meet new dogs as I raced around the hill, the fort and the woods. Lots of people had now taken up walking on their own - I mean without dogs - so it became common for me to see lone people walking through the woods or up at the fort. It was these people I particularly wanted to cheer up, as they seemed so lonesome and quiet. Many people still wore their bank robber masks, and this gave them a blank, inexpressive appearance that was hard to read. Some people seemed afraid of me, or at the very least, afraid to touch me, because of coronavirus. But most were pleased to see such a happy and friendly dog as myself. I started to recognise the faces of the people who went out at the same time as me and Benedict, and people began to call my name. "Loki, come!" they'd shout at me from a hundred metres, and I'd go bounding up to them, jumping up and licking their face if they'd let me, and spinning round to entertain them. I was so happy!

It happened on I think my fourth day off the lead. We had just left the woods for the green grass at the bottom of the hill. And then I saw her, almost a mile away, racing around the embankment at the fort – a grey and white flash of speed, just like me. Surely it couldn't be! I barked to Benedict and raced off up the hill as fast as I could go. You might find it difficult to believe that I can recognise a dog from a mile away, but I'm what's called a sight hound, and our vision is way more than your 20:20. I don't know what it would be called, but 1000:1000 or something like that. So I hared up the hill, flying past every other dog. I raced on up to the flatter land at the top and from there to the hill fort at the highest point. The grey and white flash was now on the other side of the embankment, diametrically opposed to me. Though she was mostly hidden by tall shrubs of gorse, I could see her flitting through the gaps in the foliage, tearing along the path around the fort. She looked just like me! I ran round one way, only to find her racing the same way around, and going just as fast as me. I changed direction, and she changed direction too, so that we were both still running in the same direction. No matter how hard I chased, I never gained on her, for we were precisely and evenly matched. People were laughing behind their masks and applauded us as we raced past, with those that knew me shouting, "Go, Loki!" It was as clear to them as it was to me, that she and I were now in a very public race. I wasn't about to back down, so I flew ever faster, ignoring the fact that I had a burning stitch in my side, that my breath came in rasps over my dry throat, and that my tongue was lolling out of the side of my mouth and flapping and bouncing like a landed fish. It was becoming like an individual pursuit cycle race, and we both looked over at each other as we passed the halfway points, marked by English Heritage pillars on either side of the circular track. The difference between this and any other pursuit race was that we hadn't agreed on the number of laps. Nevertheless, neither of us was going to give way. By now, Benedict had hauled himself up to the top of the embankment, and was looking on with interest as we galloped on. We raced for hours (or what could have actually been minutes) but we covered at least ten laps of an 800 metre circuit. On the tenth lap, as if by some quantum communication between us, we both skidded to a halt by the English Heritage markers, and turned our heads to eye each other. I took one tentative step forward toward her across the diameter between us, and she did the same. Then it was a rush and we tore along the narrow passageway between the gorse bushes towards each other. We met in the middle, jumping up and wrestling with each other, spinning round in glee, front paws raised in friendly play to see who was boss. It was Luna! Oh, I was so happy to see her and we licked each other and leant into each other, and she rested her silky head on my shoulder. My sister!

"Luna! I can't believe it's you. How's tricks?"

"I'm so good Loki, and I'm sooo happy to see you! Have you seen anyone else from our pack?"

"No one, Luna. You?"

"Nobody," she replied. "The family is all split up and in different homes, miles and miles from each other, or so my owner says. And Mum is miles away too, so it's just you and me, kid."

I'd been oblivious to what was happening around me, but now I noticed Benedict talking to the sweet-faced woman in the red coat. She still had on a red coat, but it was more like a jacket, not the thick duffel coat she'd worn in the winter. Perhaps she always wore red coats? Perhaps she wore red pyjamas? This time she was even wearing a red mask!

They came over towards Luna and I, petting and making a fuss of us.

"I live at the bottom of the hill," Benedict was saying.

"I live in Hode, actually," said Redcoat.

"Oh," said Benedict. "Do you come here often, then?"

Do you come here often! What kind of a chat up line was that! In the movies we watched on rainy days, Humphrey Bogart would never say anything so commonplace. Compared to Humphrey, Benedict was rubbish at this.

"No, this is my first time, but I'd heard it was beautiful," she replied.

"It is. You should come again," said Benedict.

Redcoat smiled meekly.

"Maybe I will" she said, calling for Luna and turning to leave.

"Luna! We have to put our owners in touch so we can see each other again," I said.

"I know, but yours is useless isn't he. He hasn't asked for her phone number or anything, and now she's walking away.'

We hugged each other one last time, helpless as our owners headed in different directions. Then she trotted after Redcoat, with one last look at me over her shoulder before she disappeared over the embankment.

On the way back down the hill, Benedict had a very strange look on his face. He was partly smiling, but with a dazed and distant look in his eye, as if he wasn't really focusing on anything. He seemed in some kind of confused daze.

"She was nice, wasn't she, Loki."