Red In The Morning

Chapter 4

Shaun followed behind Bitzer as the dog headed into the cold unknown.

Bitzer, himself, was walking in tired cold steps, and all that he could see before him was the moon shedding its light onto the earth.

"Baa!" Shaun called to his friend, and Bitzer turned his head weakly around, seeing Shaun panting from the journey in the cold frosty night.

Bitzer huffed out, annoyed, and waited there for the sheep to catch up to him. Shaun eventually reached his side and the two continued on through the ever snowy weather.

"Baa!"

Bitzer turned to Shaun when he heard that bleat, and Shaun realized that the dog thought it was him. The sheep quickly shook his head, and the two turned around, seeing a little lamb taking jumps in the snow to keep up with them.

"BAA!" Shaun called in horror, realizing it was his little cousin Timmy.

He hurriedly came over to the lamb and lifted him up, feeling like it was his responsibility to return Timmy back to the farm.

Shaun turned around to get Bitzer's approval, but the dog had only gone on farther up the snowy road.

Shaun called to Bitzer, carrying Timmy, and the dog just sighed, looking over his shoulder to the two sheep.

Shaun pointed down to Timmy, and Bitzer only shrugged, not caring. So unlike himself.

Shaun grew frustrated at this, and placed Timmy back on the ground, pointing for his cousin to head home.

Timmy shook his head defiantly, and Shaun only exhaled heavily, taken the lamb's hoof and walking him back to the farm.

Bitzer however never followed, and Shaun was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Shaun called to Bitzer to stay, but the dog wasn't listening to any command that wasn't from the farmer.

Shaun let go of Timmy's hoof and pointed the lamb back to the road that led home. Finally, Timmy agreed and left the two under the moonlight.

Shaun ran back over to Bitzer, and stood in front of him, very annoyed.

Bitzer barely even gazed into his friend's eyes, as Shuan went off at him in a very disapproving manner. Bitzer sighed, and pushed Shaun aside with his paw, continuing his journey in the cold snowy night.

Shaun looked back to the road leading home, and couldn't see Timmy anymore, so guessed the lamb had headed down it.

Shaun gave a loud yawn, and grabbed his arms, shivering from the frosty air.

Bitzer was growing tired, and the dog soon found a small shed in the distance, that seemed to be desolate and uninhabited.

He opened the wooden door, and came in, resting against the metal wall. Shaun came in after him and looked around for a blanket or quilt. Alas, he found neither of the two and just sat down next to Bitzer, snuggling into him for warmth.

The wind howled outside and rattled the walls, but the two had fallen asleep.

~x~

Timmy arrived home, chilled to the bone, and he hopped into his mother's arms for warmth. His mother hugged him close, still asleep herself, but when she felt Timmy's frozen body, she shivered awake at the touch.

Her eyes opened wearily, and Timmy looked at her with his big eyes, squeaking out a small, "..baa!"

His mother woke more up when she heard this, and understood Timmy's bleat. She sat up in the dark and looked around at the sleeping flock. Shaun was not there. She panicked.

~x~

Hours went by as the night continued getting colder with snow. Bitzer opened his eyes when the first break of dawn hit.

He sat up, nudging Shaun away, and stood outside the farm in the snow-covered countryside.

He felt his stomach rumble for food and suddenly spotted a cottage down the road, with a bin that might possibly hold food.

He walked over to it, his feet frozen at the bitter coldness of the ground. He was shivering as he opened the metal lid, and saw plenty of food, ready for the snacking. Granted it was gone off, but what choice did the dog have, honestly?

Shaun awoke from the chills of the weather and saw that his friend had left him again. Shaun grounded his teeth, and got up, heading outside to the new day as well.

He saw Bitzer snacking on leftovers, and came over to him, asking for a bite too.

The dog handed him half a wrap, and Shaun inspected it for a second, to see what was inside it. For him, being a sheep, meant he really didn't like meat.

At last, he discovered through investigation that the wrap was vegetarian, and he swallowed it down with no qualms.

Suddenly, a door could be heard opening, and a light shone on the two in the still dim dawn, as an elderly lady gasped, surprised, at the scavengers her waist had led to her cottage.

Bitzer and Shaun were certain that she would scream at them, and chase them off her property. But the old lady did something unorthodox. She waved for the two of them to come into her warm home.

Shaun and Bitzer looked at one another, and then at her. The sheep shook his head, not liking that idea, whereas Bitzer was more welcome to the possibility.

Finally, the dog walked over to her and nodded his head as a greeting. Shaun's eyes widened, and he looked back and forth, hesitant, but finally agreeing to the invitation himself.

As Shaun walked into her home, he swore he heard a whistle from outside. He looked behind him and swore for a second that he had seen the farmer.

It was like the man was standing in front of the sun on top the hill, but when Shaun blinked, he was gone. The sheep thought he was losing his mind.

The cottage door closed after him and he followed the warmth into the living room where Bitzer was on a warm couch, heating up from the fire on the stove. Shaun sighed heavily and thought he'd tell Bitzer about what he saw later on.

~x~

Back on the farm as the day began to get well back in gear, there was a loud cry from Blondy. The man was peering around for someone, and he finally opened the barn door, staring at the sheep, as he held up a picture of Bitzer. The dog had gone missing.

All the sheep shook their heads, not knowing where Bitzer had gone, and Timmy gave a big beam, waving his hoof in the air, but his mother caught it and placed him down, warning him to be quiet. Timmy blinked, puzzled by this command.

Blondy only yelled, exasperated and left the barn with the cold air getting in from the opened door.

Timmy's mother huddled all the sheep together and pointed to Shaun's empty bed. The flock bleated in terror at their missing leader, and Timmy jumped up into the middle of them, acting out the escape of Shaun and Bitzer with his very best acting skills.

The sheep understood him and knew Shaun would be back soon. How soon, however? None of them were sure.