{Idle Wanderings} Detox

[Nic]

Large paws hit the ground almost silently as a dog of above average size made his way along a grassy knoll in a cemetery of all places., white marble headstones dotting the landscape along with a couple of large trees that stood sentinel over the final resting places of the humans. Shaggy white fur, with black highlights on the ears, muzzle and top of the tail, rippled in the slight breeze that was serving to send several leaves blowing past the canine in a haphazard manner. This breeze was practically the only thing stirring in the otherwise eerily quiet cemetery and this served to put the German Shepherd/Great Pyrenees mix into a state of apprehension. Keeva held his tail in a low position as he slowed his steps and gazed around with a slight tilt of his head, weary from the fact that he had spent the last couple of hours running and not sure exactly where he was going to go from this point on.

When the door of the small kennel where he was kept penned day and night had been left open Keeva’s first impulse had been to run for it. It had seemed like a good idea at the time, his living conditions not fit for any living creature and far from ideal or even tolerable for that matter, but now the large canine was beginning to rethink that spur of the moment decision. While he was now free of the human who had never treated him as the member of the family that he should have been Keeva felt his breaths quicken as fear of the unknown set in. He had heard from random kennelmates that the stray dogs that roamed around were vicious and would attack without reason or provocation.

Whether this was true or not was yet to be seen. It could simply be that the other dogs had been telling him things like this simply to get a rise out of him… which hadn’t really worked at the time but was making up for that now.

If there was any truth to the claims then it would be a major concern to Keeva because despite his large size and intimidating appearance he had never really been one for violence of any kind. He could count on one paw the number of times that he had been in a physical altercation and this was always the result of some other dog, usually a male seeking to assert his dominance, picking a fight with him. This wasn’t to say that he was a pushover by any means; Keeva was perfectly capable of standing up for himself and would do so when necessity called for it.

It just wasn’t his ideal way of resolving conflict.

Reaching a spot in the cemetery that was relatively devoid of tombstones Keeva sat down on his haunches and gazed around, raising his muzzle to casually sniff the air. For the most part he had been alone since the day that he had been given to his last owner, aside from a sporadic kennelmate here and there, and Keeva yearned for the company of someone else. Having been born in a litter of thirteen he had always been a very social creature and he was finding it hard to be on his own in the world.

Lifting his muzzle to point it toward the sky Keeva raised his voice in a mournful howl that would have made his ancient ancestors the wolves shake their head in dismay. Accustomed to mainly barking, and only then to alert his owner that someone strange was on the property, so howling was far from his forte. Yet for some reason the situation seemed to call for it and who was he to go against such instincts?

[!DETOXi]

QUIET was one of the many things highly valued by some stray dogs. Mori assumed it was because their lives were so full of noise. Cars, yelling humans, trash cans clanging on concrete, sometimes even the slam of a kennel door that meant the end of freedom. In a city like White Falls, it was hard to find peace and quiet, especially if you sought stillness. Being idle was not a way to survive in the heart of the city. With the necessity to fight for food, sometimes for territory and often just because it was something to do, it was often a death wish to remain too still. In all his years however, Momento Mori had become quite adept at finding quiet places to hole up for a bit and collect his thoughts. Since recently founding the Nightwalker Gang, he needed such stillness and peace.

TODAY, his search of peace led him to the cemetery where humans buried their dead. Laying atop a cool flat marble plaque, the black and white canine looked as still as the statue of an angel three graves down. The Karelian Bear Dog was curled in a C-shape, normally curled tail laying over his hind legs, black and white head laying on his white front paws. Deep brown eyes were half closed, a combination of the quiet and warm sunlight on his black back making him feel sleepy. Still, you didn't survive as long as he had on the streets and not learn that it was unwise to fall asleep in an unfamiliar place. Sure, the cemetery seemed quiet but assuming ended in death, so the burly bear dog simply rested.

IT seemed that on this day, not assuming he was alone was Momento Mori's saving grace.

AN odd half bark, half howl monstrosity broke the silence of the dead humans. The sudden sound brought Mori out of his sleepy haze and into alertness with a rather unpleasant jerk. His sharply featured head snapped up from his paws, ears perking up, brown eyes sweeping the area for a sign of where the horrid sound had come from. It wasn't from anything in sight. Most strays would have up and left, choosing to leave instead of possibly get in over their heads by crossing paths with a stranger. That, however, was not Mori's way.

RISING off his resting place, Mori set off, following the concrete path that cut through the cemetery. His claws clicked lightly on the hard surface as he scaled a hill and stopped at the top. Tail curling over his back, the black and white brute regarded the new expanse of grave sites. It wasn't hard to pick out a living thing amongst so many still memorials, thus Mori found his quary with ease. It appeared to be a canine black and white like himself but with much more white a few inches taller than Mori's 25 inches. Stretching his neck forward, Mori sniffed. The wind was blowing in the wrong direction. As though on an invisible leash, Mori trotted down the hill and let out a yelping bark to alert the stranger as he came closer. With several graves between them, Mori stopped, tail curled and ears forward, head up as he looked at the other dog curiously.

THE last time Mori had heard a howl, it had been a howl of pain as a drawn out fight came to a painful and quite bloody end. From what he could see, there was no fight, no blood, no one in need of help. Mori angled his head to one side, ears still forward and eyes curious. What did this dog want? Surely he hadn't just howled to make noise? Doing such a thing was just asking for trouble.

[Nic]

The sound of his poor excuse for a howl, an embarrassment to his noble forebears the wolves, wasn’t even pleasant to his own ears which was the main reason why Keeva cut the mournful action short in the same instant that another dog let out a yelp of a bark. Admittedly he hadn’t expected for anyone to answer the howl but Keeva was none the less happy to learn that he wasn’t completely alone in this field of the dead. Having thought that his only company was the tombstones and occasional marble statues that dotted the landscape the large canine was more than pleased to learn that there was actually another living creature in this still place. Casting a sidelong glance in the direction that the bark had came from Keeva caught sight of another black and white dog, though the pelt of this newcomer was more evenly marked than his own mainly white pelt. Lifting his muzzle he carefully sniffed the air, the slight breeze that was still tousling the leaves that had fallen from the trees bring the scent of the newcomer toward him.

Getting to his feet he gave a wag of his bushy tail, yipping at the new comer in an attempt to alert him to the fact that he wasn’t looking for a fight. The words of his kennelmates rang in his ears, about the fact that all street dogs were out for a fight and wouldn’t listen to reason, but Keeva shrugged this off as he trotted in the direction of the slightly smaller dog. Making sure to keep his stance as far from threatening as he knew how the German Shepherd/Great Pyrenees mix trotted over to the other canine, coming to a stop a few feet away and offering what amounted to a grin as far as canines went.

“Hello,” he greeted the black and white dog in a low bark.

Keeva still felt a trace of apprehension as he stood facing the strange dog but this was far outweighed by his desire to make a new friend. Never having cared much for being alone in this moment all he wanted to do was to attempt to make a friend so that he would have someone to talk to.

If only for a short time.

His ears were held in a partially upright position and his plume of a tail wagged back and forth in a friendly manner designed to put his companion at ease. Having encountered many different kinds of dogs in his relatively short life Keeva had learned many different ways to portray an air of friendship to those that he came across. Now sometimes this worked and sometimes it didn't but Keeva was hoping that this would be one of the times when it did.

[!DETOXi]

A growl ready in his throat if the newcomer proved to be dangerous, Mori tensed as the mostly white brute came toward him. Evidently, the dog wasn't a stray because he got much closer than any sane stray would, though Mori didn't back down from the approach. His tail waved like a fluffy white plume of smoke from the city's smoke stacks and a grin appeared on the maw of the other as he yipped a greeting. For a moment, Mori could only stare in mild surprise. He knew there were decent dogs in the world, he'd met some of the finest if he did say so himself, but it was always surprising to find someone that wasn't out for blood. Strays brawled all the time, to pass time, to get food, to get shelter, for respect, for protection, to build a reputation. Reputations were important. If you had a threatening reputation, no one would hurt you. They wouldn't challenge you, try to steal from you or try to hurt those you kept close to you. It was a vicious cycle but a necessary one. To say the least, Mori hadn't founded his gang as a place to be safe from that because if he did, they would be vulnerable and weak, but he had founded it on being a place where fighting didn't necessarily mean fighting alone. This dog however, he didn't approach in a manner that spoke of one that knew what a fight was and how to win one. He had to be a housepet, or perhaps a new stray.

CAUTIOUSLY, Mori leaned forward a bit, stretching out his neck and sniffing. Yep, housepet. He stank of a kennel and the housepet homes, even the faint scent of a few other dogs that had long gone stale.

UNCOILING his muscles a bit, Mori lifted his head a bit experimentally. "Hello," he barked back, his voice relatively soft and deep. It told the tale of a dog that had been used and abused but it also told of a dog that knew exactly what he was doing and would not be pushed around. Looking around, Mori confirmed there was no one around to howl about before looking back at the white dog. "Was there a reason for your howl?"

THIS dog had witnessed something quite unusual. Mori almost never initiated conversation unless he was curious about something. Normally he would speak when spoken to, answer questions when asked, but seldom bother speaking unless he had something to say. It seemed an unusual for one that ran a pack but it served him relatively well and those that knew him well knew not to mistake his silence for weakness. A few newer strays were sometimes intimidated by his quietness while ones that challenged it would find themselves thoroughly beaten back into place. After all, his ancestors and some of his current brethren handled bears. Who were a few dogs compared to such things? His breed was known for its fearlessness, something his mother had pushed into his mind from birth. He was a creature of keen mind, curiosity and confidence, though his was perhaps a bit more subdued and subtle.

[Nic]

Keeva was a bit hesitant to give out the information sought by this stranger, it being slightly embarrassing in nature, but after a momentary pause of hesitation decided that he may as well. Embarrassing though it undoubtedly was the large mix had always been honest and sometimes brutally so. Making the decision to divulge the truth behind his howl of lament Keeva cleared his throat, unaccustomed to speaking more than a few words. It had been so long since he’d had anyone to converse with that his voice was rougher than normal owing to lack of use. Tilting his head slightly forward he barked a reply, his voice slightly gruff which suggested that he hadn’t used it in awhile save for his atrocious howl. “Um… I did it out of loneliness I guess.”

When put like that it sounded stupid even to him but the answer that he gave was the truth and there was no avoiding it. Only the option of denial which he chose not to take. Likely other dogs in his position would have refused to answer the question or if they did choose to answer would have simply lied. That wasn’t in his character however so Keeva told the truth, regardless of how said truth may cause the other dog to view him.

He could tell by the scent of the other male that he lived on the streets and it seemed to him that this quiet dog had endured quite a bit in life. He had an air of experience and knowledge about him that Keeva couldn’t recall having seen in any other dog that he had encountered. Of course he had never really had any run-ins with strays before so maybe that was just the difference between those dogs that lived on the streets and provided for themselves and those dogs that were cared for by humans.

Despite his large size Keeva knew without a shred of doubt that he didn’t exude this same air of confidence even despite his large size and somewhat intimidating appearance. Keeva knew that he could inspire fear, having managed to scare other dogs as well as humans that came to visit his owner, but it wasn’t quite the same thing. His had been inadvertent and short lived. Most wrote him off as a non-threat after any interaction due to his overly friendly mannerisms.

A thought occurred to him and Keeva cocked his head to one side. “Sorry if I disturbed you or something… I know that noise was awful.”

It didn’t bother him as much to admit this fact to the other dog. The pitiful attempt at a howl had caused his own ears to ache in protest so there could be no denying that it was awful and had likely caused his current companion to wince. Keeva never would have done it had he only known that he wasn’t alone in the cemetery since he was already aware of the fact that when it came to howling he failed spectacularly. Hopefully he hadn’t offended the black and white male too much with his noise pollution.

[!DETOXi]

BLACK triangular auds perked as the white canine replied. Loneliness. Mistress of the streets. Nodding his head, accepting the other's explanation. Reclining on his haunches, Mori's brown orbs met the gaze of the other dog. He seemed well-meaning, his face open and honest compared to the lying masks of street mutts. Even Mori had his masks, though his silence was his most common mask and the one he wore the best. Perhaps it was because that mask was the closest to his real nature? Probably. Either way, this dog was obviously harmless at the moment. Mori would never say completely harmless. Any dog, no matter how small or even handicapped, was capable of some sort of damage if driven to the right extremes. Cornered, injured, frightened, angered. It just took the right trigger and any canine could be a whirling hurricane of fangs, teeth and wrath. Even Mori. Even a housepet. Ah, if humans only fully understood the devious minds of their canine companions.

"MY name is Momento Mori, but all call me Mori," Mori told the other, inclining his head in greeting. "As for your howl, loneliness is a fair enough cause, though perhaps the....song you offered was not the wisest choice. Many in this city are inclined to hear a howl as a challenge." Perhaps the poor quality of the howl would have saved the stranger, since it sounded like a cat in a meat grinder rather than a howl, but it was never bad advice to be better safe than sorry. "In my experience, howling is best left to the wolves."

MORE than one unfortunate, unknowing housepet had met his or her end on the streets because of ignorance. The streets didn't treat housepets gently just because they didn't know. If anything, the streets treated them worse. Mori simply saw it as teaching. That was how he had adapted after fleeing his home. He had observed, kept his mouth shut until he knew how things worked. Now he was running a street gang. It went to prove that running headfirst and howling into things wasn't always the best way to go. It might work for some but Mori felt safer in the shadows of things, keeping a firm but subtle grip on his gang with eyes everywhere. It wasn't hard for a stray that knew of deception and darkness. This housepet, his intention had been to relieve his loneliness, it could have gotten his throat ripped out by a stray only a slight more inclined to violence than Mori. He was capable, don't get him wrong, but he was also curious.

WHY was this dog here? He obviously belonged to someone, though he seemed in a rather sorry state compared to some housepets Mori had seen. Whenever he'd been owned, his owner had groomed and kept them all well. This dog seemed on the lower end of being kept up. Had he runaway? Was he seeking a life as a stray? If that was so, Mori would have to set him straight, even if this dog didn't join his gang. He hated to see innocent blood be spilled when it was so easy to avoid.

[Nic]

“Just as well,” Keeva conceded, his tone losing some of it’s hoarse quality the more that he spoke and taking on an almost joking quality. “Seeing as I’m fairly lousy at it.” There was a hint of amusement in his voice as he made this statement, hinting at the fact that his tone would be surprisingly soft for a large male once it lost the rough edge that lack of use had given it. “My name’s Keeva…” The large canine paused as he gave this name; it was the name that his original owner had given to him and not the one that he had been called most recently. But for some reason he had never identified with the moniker that his neglectful owner had given him, refusing to use it as his own.

His bushy tail continued to swish back and forth in a friendly manner as Keeva gazed at the other male, still not completely sure what to make of him. The words that he had spoken sounded like advice but the newly homeless stray didn’t quite know how to take it.

“I’ll be sure to lock that little bit of information away for later,” Keeva barked, inclining his head ever so slightly in the other’s direction. His hope was that he wouldn’t need it, that he wouldn’t be challenged by any other dogs or anything else for that matter, but even Keeva was enough of a realist to know that this would likely be hoping for too much. He’d gotten along with the handful of other dogs that he had shared his kennel with but there had been some minor scraps over the small portion of food that they were allotted. And hunger was one of the few things that could drive the normally easy going dog to bare his fangs at another, although he still strived to do everything in his power to keep the altercations from turning to blows.

His size had helped him to do this with the other pets but Keeva was fairly certain that street dogs would be an entirely different story. They were probably accustomed to fighting for everything that they had and as a result likely wouldn’t hesitate to attack if he had something that they wanted. He would definitely have to adapt and learn a new way of thinking if he hoped to survive in this new world in which he found himself thrust.

There was no room for weakness in a world where only the strong survived.

In his heart Keeva knew that this was true but there was still a part of him that loathed the thought of fighting. All he wanted was to find a friend, or friends would be even better, so that he wouldn't have to be alone. After spending so much time in that cramped kennel with only his idle thoughts to keep him company he couldn't stand the thoughts of things always being this way. He wanted something more out of life.

[!DETOXi]

ACCEPTING the name with a small dip of his white-dyed muzzle, Mori stored away with the other male's scent and a mental image of him. His memory was fair since most of the dogs he met remained faceless, nameless slobbering snarling masses of fur that were starved or maddened beyond reason. Having a sane face to put with a name was a pleasant change and one that almost drew a smile to Mori's lips. Almost. He didn't smile often, hadn't ever even when he was a young pup at his mother's belly wrestling with his siblings for a place to drink. Smiling was something that simply didn't happen for Mori, when he did, it felt foreign as though his face wasn't meant to make such an expression. That was why he often looked so neutral or thoughtfully distant, that just seemed to be how his face was arranged to look. His mother used to tell him he was a dark soul, not in a bad way but just that he had a look about him that seemed to say he'd lived many lives already even though she'd only birthed him a few weeks past. At times he missed his mother's soft cryptic words and her sturdy strength, especially when winter hit the city hard and he found himself feeling weak. As he had grown however, Mori had learned to ignore such longings because he had to focus on the here and now or he would be chewed up and spit out by the streets.

A moment of silence stretched between the two dogs. Keeva seemed not to know hat to say to Mori's advice and Mori, as stated before, wasn't a talker. So, the Nightwalker leader huffed out a soft sigh and made to stand. Giving his short black and white pelt a brisk shake, Mori cast one last look at Keeva before turning away. He wasn't intentionally being rude, though many touchy dogs would say it was such, there were simply other things to tend to. On the streets one didn't have all the time in the world to sit and converse with a newcomer. Keeva seemed like a good enough dog and Mori would have liked to offer advice or aid, but Keeva wasn't asking. In Mori's mind, if he wasn't asking either in words or in body language, he didn't need it. He had food to find and borders to check before he went back to the old church at nightfall.

CLAWS clicking lightly on the cement of the sidewalk that wove between rows and rows of graves, Mori began to trek back toward the hill where he'd first seen Keeva. His steps were unhurried, head in a neutral pose now that he wasn't greeting the newcomer. Everything in his posture spoke of a dog used to the shadows, of a dog that was not to be hurried, of a dog that had seen too much to rush into things without giving situations their due caution. Really this was a test to the other dog.

MORI valued curiosity, valued the need to know, the thirst some dogs had for knowledge. If this dog showed any sort of interest in following him, Mori would be more than willing to allow it since so few dogs bothered to be curious anymore. Strays seemed to be too busy being frightened or angry, two qualities Mori frowned on. He didn't like being afraid and he had a great distaste for even his own anger which was why those emotions were two that he tried his hardest to keep a firm handle on. If Keeva was curious and showed initiative by following him, Mori might even invite him to the Nighwalkers, despite his status as a new stray. For all Mori knew, he would simply turn around and run home to his safe human home. Mori wouldn't blame him. The streets weren't for everyone, but if Keeva, if he didn't learn the streets would eat him alive. With Mori he had been shy but not fearful, a good sign but also dangerous. Mori had approached him ready for aggression. Keeva had approached him tail wagging and open for any sort of attack. Keeva would have to learn to guard himself.

REACHING the crest of the hill, Mori paused. Looking over his left shoulder, dark brown eyes sought out the white and black canine, curious to see if he would follow, if he would stay where he was or if he would run home.

[Nic]

A soft whine wanted to escape Keeva’s lips as he watched the other dog turn and begin to walk between the graves, across the cemetery and away from him, but the large canine refused to allow it. Shaking his head, his half-pricked, half folded ears slapping against the side of his head with the motion, he forced himself not to give way to this weakness. Back in his kennel he wouldn’t have viewed this as a weakness but got the feeling that Mori would view it as otherwise. It was fair to say that he was naïve when it came to life on the streets but Keeva had always been a quick study, his first master having instilled in him a thirst for knowledge and a desire to learn that hadn’t faded even in his neglectful and often abusive new home.

Even before Mori turned his head to gaze back at the newcomer to the streets Keeva had already moved to follow. His bushy tail was no longer waging, the male instead choosing to hold it in a neutral position close to his hindquarters and with the tip of it curling up and nearly parallel to the ground. He trotted forward with a confidence that he didn’t completely feel but he was a fairly good actor so it would be hard for Mori to spot the fact that he didn’t feel as sure of himself as he looked.

Keeva didn’t know if the other black and white dog would allow him to tag along or not and a slight hint of caution appeared in his chocolate brown eyes as he neared the older stray. It wasn’t fear that he held in his eyes but simply a slight note of wariness as he waited to see whether he would be attacked and driven back by Mori. He wasn’t sure how he would react if the other didn’t want his company but was determined to give it a shot none the less. He wasn’t so arrogant as to think that he had the knowledge to survive on the streets without at least learning the basics and hoped that Mori would be willing to teach him.

Having always been possessed of a friendly nature, even from his earliest memories, it seemed almost natural for Keeva to be following along behind another dog, one he hoped would be like a mentor to him now that he had sought his freedom from the oppressive human who had laid claim to him but had never really cared for his well being. Along with this friendliness came a fear of being utterly alone in the world, a trait that seemed to come part and parcel with the enjoyment that he got out of the company of others. Keeva could make himself useful if given the chance and the slight gleam that seemed to have appeared in his chocolate eyes hinted of the curiosity of a dog who was barely out of his adolescence.

Trotting up to the crest of the hill he cocked one ear and waited for whatever would happen.

[!DETOXi]

A small light winked to life in Mori's dark eyes as he watched the other canine trot after him. It was as subtle as a secret and as fleeting as a heartbeat but it was there nonetheless. The light of approval. The whiter canine trotted after him, confidence but heasitation balancing out in his stride, body held in a neutral pose as though to appease some aggressor. A good move, should Mori take to the guise of being angry and try to attack. A neutral pose or even a submissive pose was always ideal for approaching other dogs, especially when making moves to follow in thier pawsteps or seek their aid. Perhaps Keeva had promise after all. Mori stood still on the hill's crest, his tail curled and resting against his back as he waited. His strance was patient, his normal unhurried self as he waited for Keeva to catch up. Normally, what Keeva had done would be a sign to him as a gang leader that he could dominate, assert his position so to speak. This time however, Mori simply watched Keeva approach.

THE new stray obviously didn't know that he was a gang leader, elsewise he probably wouldn't have approached at all for fear of the rumors that floated around leaders of stray gangs. Also, since Keeva didn't know Mori's position, he wouldn't know what he was getting in to. Mori had offered no invitation to join his gang after all, so he had no reason to try and show Keeva who was boss. This was just a chance to see if Keeva was curious enough to follow, but respectful enough to do it properly. Apparently, he passed both tests. Nodding, more to himself than to Keeva, Mori turned and began moving again, conscious of Keeva falling into step somewhere just behind him.

"HAVE you known kindness in a human?" Mori asked as he trotted between graves, some tall and some small. The shadow of an angle rippled over his frame as he passed behind it. He didn't look back at Keeva, simply kept his brown eyes ahead, ears perked.

THE way he moved, it was obvious Mori knew danger. His stride was fluid, swift, full of authority and purpose. His head was kept about shoulder height, ears forward, neck not extended lest someone try to make a grab that could kill him. Though while his head posture was neutral and his stride that of a dog that knew the shadows by name, his tail remained in its high pose. An alpha, a leader, a threat to those that dared pick a fight. In the world of a stray, posture such as Mori's meant everything. It was your idenity. It changed with each fight, shifted day to day. This however, was a posture Mori was obviously comfortable and familiar with. He had been in this standing for a while. Sooner or later, Keeva would learn to recognize dogs like Mori, dogs that knew the streets and while were relatively safe to approach, demanded a certain level of respect. He would also learn the dogs that were only in it for the fight and bloodshed. On the other end of things, there would be dogs that constantly moved with their heads ducked, tails tucked and eyes rolling in fright so much that the whites of their eyes showed almost all the time. It was all part of surviving, knowing who to respect, who to fear and who to take advantage of.

TURNING slightly to the right, Mori began moving more toward the recent section of the cemetary. Keeva had been lingering in the older part where few graves were visited mainly because any visitors those dead were gone to their own graves. Coming to a stop beside one of the cemetery's old oak trees, Mori's chocolate eyes spotted an elderly man leaning on a cane looking down at a headstone with sad eyes. He didn't see the dogs and Mori made no move to get closer. Instead he sat back on his black haunches in the tree's shadow.

[Nic]

A slight hint of sadness appeared in Keeva’s brown eyes as Mori posed this single question to him. A shadow passed over them as he thought back on his days as a puppy. At only five weeks of age he had lost his mother, the warm body beside whom he had nestled with his mound of wiggling and wrestling siblings, and had been given to a new home. In this home he had been happy, the boy who had claimed him from among the others kind and loving. Unfortunately this boy’s parents had been unaware that Keeva would grow to be such a large dog and as his grew the family found themselves unable to cope with his large size. In an attempt to do the best for him that they could the family had found another human to take him in but this man was far from kind or loving.

“I knew kindness as a pup,” Keeva finally replied in a low bark. There was the barest hint of bitterness in his tone as his thoughts lingered on the man who had caged him and left him there alone. “But my more recent experiences were far from pleasant.”

He had been constantly alone or, if by some miracle another dog was brought, forced to share his already too small kennel with the new arrival. Some of them picked fights with him just to prove that they were stronger than the male who had always towered over all of them. Keeva shook his head as he recalled the punishments that all had received at the hands of the human when it was discovered that they had been fighting. It mattered not what the cause had been, the human couldn’t be bothered enough to care about the fact that the majority of it was his fault to begin with for caging two animals together in such small confines.

And still Keeva hadn’t lost his fear of being alone.

As he came to a stop a short distance behind Mori, Keeva noted the human who was standing by one of the graves with a mournful expression on his face but made no move to go toward him. The kindness that he had known as a pup couldn’t quite take away the harshness that he had known as a dog and he found himself wary of strange humans. Remaining a respectful distance away from Mori, not wanting to offend the older dog who exuded an air of authority though Keeva couldn’t quite figure out why that was since he knew virtually nothing of street gangs and thus didn’t recognize Mori as the leader that he was, the mainly white canine sat down on his haunches.

His chocolaty orbs were still filled with a potent curiosity and he seemed to have a strong desire to learn the ways of the other strays and increase his chances for being able to cope with the harsh life on the streets of White Falls. Instinct told him that kindness would be fleeting and that others would seek to take advantage of him.

All he could hope for was that Mori wasn’t one of these individuals.