Street-Bred

Chapter Eight - The Question Rises With The Sun

     Fawn fell asleep with the pack that night. Mei insisted on hearing Fawn's adventure, luckily, April was there to give a summarized version of it, without the part where Night got hit by a car. Fawn didn't have any dreams that night, just a blissful rest. As dawn approached, Fawn realized Mei had been snuggled up next to her the whole night, twitching every now and then. The Pharaoh Hound smiled at the young one. She was so innocent and fragile, without the pack's help, she would have died for sure. As she was thinking about the pack, her thoughts wandered to April.

     "How did April know about Cash and his pack?" She thought, and decided to ask her later in the day. Fawn, careful not to awake Mei, rose from her slumber and stretched her tan body. A silent yawn escaped her jaws. She walked out of the alley and sat down at the entrance and stared up at the pale blue sky. Suddenly, a voice made her look over her shoulder, "Good morning," Ace whispered, walking up next to her, "why up so early?"

"This is when I normally get up, don't you rise early too?"

"Normally, but now, I let everyone rest until the sun is completely up. Mei needs the extra rest, being a puppy and all..."

"You really care about her, huh?"

"Gosh, I love her as if she was my own kin. She's like a little sister," Ace revealed a small smile, "and she likes you, too," he added.

"I know she does, but..." Fawn looked away.

"What is it?" Ace's blue eyes filled with concern.

"I don't think I can stay..."

"Why not?"

"Ace, remember the story April told you and the pack last night?  Yeah, well one of Cash's packmates, Night..."

"I already know. We all do, except for Mei,"

"How?"

"April told us after Mei and you were asleep."

"Oh..."

"But why can't you stay? You can't run from Cash and not need assistance!" Ace said.

"I know, but I just don't want anyone getting hurt. It would be my fault," Fawn sighed, then staring up at the pack leader. Silence followed her words, until Ace got an idea, "Follow me," he ordered, then began to walk down a sidewalk.

     The two dogs walked in silence for a few minutes before turning down another alley. There, they met an old facade with stairs climbing all the way to the top floor. Ace broke the silence as he led Fawn, "This way," and then he began to climb up the stairs. There were about four flights of metal stairs until they made it to the top. There he went through an open window and entered an abandoned room with Fawn behind him.

     The room was dusty, old, and smelled of rats. A few, framed photos were on the ground, shattered, and pictures of strange things hung on the wall askew. Fawn cocked her brow, "This is what you wanted to show me?" Ace chuckled in response.

"We're almost there," his tail wagged slightly.

     Next to an unmade bed, there was a closet that was cracked open. Ace pushed it with his paw, revealing the clothes inside, "Very fascinating," Fawn commented sarcastically. Ace rolled his eyes and walked through the clothes until his black, curled tail vanished. Puzzled, Fawn reluctantly followed. To Fawn's surprise, behind the clothes, there was a staircase in front of her and Ace was already climbing to the top. A breeze flowed through the hidden room, "What is this?" Fawn questioned as she walked up a few steps slowly. Ace didn't respond, instead, he just made it to the top of the stairs and disappeared to wherever the stairs ended. The female trotted after him, and eventually she too made it to the top. She came out a small square hole that seemed to be an exit to the building's roof.

     Then, she turned her head to the right to see Ace's silhouette in front of a bright, brilliant light. Fawn blinked to adjust her eyes, and when her eyes got used to the image, she realized she was looking at the most breathtaking scene she has ever witnessed. The sun was perfectly in between two skyscrapers, with a bit of space beside it to show the array of yellows and light oranges on the horizon. The light warmed Fawn's pelt as she walked to Ace, green eyes locked on the sunrise's beauty. When she stood next to her friend, she closed her eyes and smiled as a gentle breeze blew by. Ace turned his attention to Fawn, "Isn't it beautiful?"

"It's stunning, Ace. How did you find this place?" Fawn asked, opening her eyes to look at the male.

"When April and I were pups, we only had each other. Our families disappeared. Then, when we were exploring that alley down there, Captain found us. We were super afraid of him at first, but then, he told us everything was alright and we should follow him. Like all pups, we were curious and agreed to come along. He led us up those stairs and through the closet and onto the roof. There, we saw the sunrise. After a long while of staring on in awe, Captain finally asked us to join him and create a pack. We happily joined him, and after that, it became tradition to show all new pack members the sunrise," Ace finished, and then held a stare with Fawn as he stepped close, "Fawn, I'd like you to join my pack."