Category: Writers Block
Hi all
Here's a little story I wrote. I love animals, so this came to me out of know where. Hope you like it.
A True Master
The air was cold and vary misty as I awoke and stretched. I could smell the men’s cooking as they prepared their early morning meal. I to was hungry, but my meal would have to wait. I, along with the 100 dogs in the camp were second on the men’s list. All we were to them were tools. Tools in a brutal and deadly fight. I never understood why humans would fight with each other. Why couldn’t they just live in peace like wolves. Wolves only fought when their pack was threatened, or when boundary lines were crossed. I was broken out of my thoughts as a short dumpy man with black fur approached my pen.
“Today’s the day girl.” He said tiredly, “the day you get your new handler.” I sighed inwardly. This would be my fourth master. I was the only wolf in the pack, and I was only matched with the most experienced handlers. Not that they were ever experienced when they first started working with me, for I always kept them on their toes. I had a way of knowing when to test them, and when not to. As the man left, the shepherd in the next pen spoke to me. He was gentle as shepherd’s go, and had the blackest fur I’d ever seen. I secretly had a crush on him.
“Maya?”
“Yes Sitka?” I answered back as I licked my paw.
“Are you excited about your new master?”
“I’m never excited Sitka.”
“Why not?”
“Because she never lets herself get attached!” Chesapeake said. Chesapeake was a small but temperamental shepherd. She always believed she was right about every thing and she loved to give the humans a hard time.
“I’m not afraid.” I said, turning around so I could face her pen, “you can’t allow yourself to get attached in a place like this. To many masters come and go.”
“She’s right.” Sitka said, “if you get attached, then it’ll be hard for you to move on to the next master.”
“I’m surprised you even made it here Sitka!” Chesapeake snapped, “your so gentle, you don’t even give the humans a hard time.”
“That’s because I respect them.” Sitka said calmly, “maybe they wouldn’t be so rough on you if you’d do the same.”
“Guys be quiet.” I said, “the humans are coming with our meal.” As I said this, six men started walking down the rows of pens, bowls of food on a large cart. As the short dumpy man stopped in front of me again another man next to him said,
“Are you sure she’ll be a good match for Jacobs?”
“I think she’ll be perfect for him Stanley. She’s a wolf yes, but one of the best dogs we have here. She’s willing to do anything you ask, with know complaint.”
“Wasn’t always that way John.” Stanley said to the dumpy man, “remember when we first started training her? Tore us up pretty good.”
“That she did.” John said, “but look at her now.” As he said this, he reached through the chain link fence and scratched my head. I backed away, for I wasn’t used to human affection.
“Mmm,” John said, “maybe we trained her to well. At least the others don’t mind when we touch them. Despite that, your quite the beauty.” He said to me. With a bowl of food in hand, he opened my pen then commanded,
“Maya, sit!” I obeyed instantly, and after he had put the food down and left, I began to eat.
I was awakened from my afternoon nap by Stanley and another man walking up to my pen.
“Jacobs?” Stanley said, “this is Maya. She’s going to be your new partner.” As Jacobs opened the gate and walked in, I began to back away to give him room.
“Be careful now.” Stanley said, “she’s unpredictable, and might not take to you right away.” After Stanley had left, Jacobs sat calmly in my pen just looking at me. This man was different then all the rest. I could tell from the moment I met him that he would be a no nonsense kind of guy. He was tall, about 6 2, and had short blond fur. His eyes were as blue as the sky, and his skin was very pale. Sensing that I better make friends with him some how, I slowly began to approach him. When I was just inches from his face, I slowly reached out with my muzzle, and began to nudge his hand. Instead of fawning over me like other masters had, Jacobs just put his hand a top my head. I realized that was as close to affection as I was going to get, and that was fine with me.
“Come.” He said quietly, and without hesitation, I obeyed and came to sit by his side. After snapping a leash to my collar, he calmly but authoritatively led me out of my pen.
Four weeks had passed since I had met my new master, and things were going well. I was once again far from the pen I spent a lot of my time in, and once again ready to face whatever came my way. My master didn’t say much to me or the other men in his group, just kept mostly to himself. The only time he spoke to me was to give me commands. There were never words of affection spoken to me, and the only time he touched me was when he praised me for a job well done. Like the first time we met, his way of praise was just a light hand on my head. What he asked of me was pretty simple. Sometimes he had me guard his tent, other times I was told to attack on command if an enemy came near. Some of the other dogs in our group whimpered and complained when their handlers got on them for disobeying, but I took it all in stride. As long as I listened to my master and did what was asked of me, he had know reason to be hard on me. Compared to other masters I’d had, this one was very easy to get along with. He didn’t smother me with love like some of the others did, just praised me when necessary. The thing I liked about him the most was how quiet he was. When I wasn’t on duty which was most of the time, he’d take off my collar and let me lie in the sun or the fire while he read or wrote. Despite the fact that we were at war, I enjoyed just being near him.
One morning I was awakened by my master’s shrill whistle. Quick as a flash I jumped to my feet and was at his side immediately. He only whistled for me when something was really wrong, and I could sense in his body language that this was one of those times. After snapping my collar and leash on me, he quickly marched me out of the camp.
“Jacobs!” a tall black man growled, “take your dog and head over to bear creek! The enemy is closing in fast, and we need to be ready to attack at a moments notice!” Without a word to the man, my master quickly marched me to a truck.
“Up!” he commanded sharply, and without hesitation I jumped in the truck.
An hour later, we found ourselves in a dark forest with a creek running down the middle. As I jumped out of the truck then sat next to my master, I began to here footsteps coming closer. I growled low in my throat, a signal to my master that the enemy was near.
“Get them!” was all he said as he unhooked my leash. As I ran after the fleeing footsteps, I could here my master running behind me trying to keep up. As I ran, I came in to an open field, and their they were, three men with large guns.
“Bite!” my master commanded. As I lunged for the first one, a shot rang out, and I found myself on the ground, blood dripping down my side. I faintly heard my master fire off three shots before bending over me.
“You did well girl.” He said in the gentlest voice I’d ever heard from him, “you hang on, don’t you dare die on me.”
I awoke to voices all around me.
“Will she make it commander?” I heard my master ask.
“Should.” The commander said, “the bullet was easy to remove and she should make a full recovery. However,” he continued, “it will take several months for her to recover. Because of this, she’ll be returned to the kennels in Canada, and you will receive a new dog.” My heart went cold as I heard this. A new partner? No, not yet. I loved my master. He was the first master I had ever allowed myself to get attached to. He was the first master I had ever really bonded with. We seemed to really understand each other, and I had hoped though it was a faint hope to spend the rest of my days