Sawanay and Suguji

Chapter Five

"Suguji," Sawanay whispered.

The dog's ears perked up, as if hearing his own name.

"Sugiji," she said again.

The dog walked up to her and nuzzled the palm of Sawanay's hand. She laughed and rubbed Suguji's furry head. Sawanay was so focused on the dog that she didn't hear the footsteps of the men.

Sawanay turned her head and saw the four men looking down on her, their faces in shadow from their big fur coats. Sawanay gulped.

"What do you want?" she siad, much more confidently than she felt.

The man in the front took a step forward and reached for Suguji.

"Stop!" Sawanay cried, and the husky took a step back, ears folded. "Why do you want him?" she cried in dismay. "He's a living creature too! Don't you understand anything about other animals, or of friendship?"

The husky began playing with a feather he found in the snow. A wind kicked in and blew the feather towards the Eskimos, and the husky followed. The man reached down and snatched up Suguji as fast as lightning.

Sawanay jumped forward, but two of the other men put their arms out and stopped her. Sawanay screamed and kicked, trying to free herself from the mens' grasp, but they held tight, their cold fingers digging into her arms.

"Let go!" she screamed so loudly that they loosened their grip for only a second, just enough time so that Sawanay could escape. She ran forward to the man holding Sugiji, but not fast enough. The two men behind her jumped forward, and grabbing her, they all fell to the ground.

Sawanay grunted, getting a mouthful of snow. She struggled to get up, but they held her legs firmly to the ground as she turned this way and that on her stomache. The cold snow burned her nose, and she watched helplessly as the man disapeared around the corner, dangling Suguji by his leg.

The men started to let go, but as soon as Sawanay started to run forward, they grabbed her again. They held her there for a long time, and she only heard silence, which was probably a good thing.

Then she heard a splash, and a little yelp. The men let her go, and she ran around the corner of the little mountain. The Eskimo who took Suguji from Sawanay was crouched over the edge over the river, and holding the husky under the icy water.