Makya

The Coydog fled to the Bog, after escaping the Akitas at the Dump. Her 'brother' had told her to find a safe place. This looked safe enough. With the ordeal over, she crouched in a bush, hiding.

Elder Brother

Brother came trotting toward the sound of the pack he had heard, but by the time he arrived, they had long gone. He was about to give up and head back to the Ranch when he spotted a part of the brush that was a different color from the rest of it. His tail waving to show he was friendly, he came forward slowly, voice soft and kind. What's wrong, little sister? Having a hard time?

Makya

Makya nodded. "You could say that. Some dogs just tried to kill me!" She said in a loud whisper. She stood up and looked around, making sure there was nobody else around. "I'm Makya." She wagged her tail and smiled.

Elder Brother

He nodded, still letting his voice soothe, letting it fall into that lilting tone of a father's voice that calmed all fears. Ah, then you must have been in the large human town not far from here. All the dogs are vicious there. Never fear, they do not venture this far into my home. I am Elder Brother, Brother to almost everyone who knows me. He had been born with a different name, but it was too painful to remember. He had shed it when his pack died, and became simply Elder Brother. He shook that memory aside, speaking again. So... what brings you so far here? You speak more of the eastern world.

Makya

Makya smiled. "Hello, Elder Brother." She said, wagging her tail. "I guess I came here...I guess I'm just trying to find someplace where I am accepted." She had lived with humans for the majority of her life, until she was separated from her family.

Elder Brother

Brother's face grew more serious at her words, for they rang true in his heart. He had come here searching for the same thing. Surely... this was more than coincidence. So his voice was soft and a touch sad as he replied. Yes, I think all of us are looking for that, whether we admit it to ourselves or not. Even my boy... he is wolf in the heart and human in the body. He is... so confused. But he's a good lad. Wow, he really couldn't carry out a conversation without thinking of Tahmores... of course, the boy was all the family Brother had left, the only companion he'd had for... almost four years. Even now, when he had longed for his canine brethren and came here to find them, Brother still thought of him, and missed him often.

But he turned his attention back to her, voice soft. Acceptance... perhaps because you are a hybrid? Do others really hold that against you? His voice was slightly incredulous, for that was a very old-fashioned way of looking at things, he thought. At the Ranch, there were many hybrids, and they were not thought of as less...

Makya

Makya stepped forward. "It sounds like you have a good friend." She said. "I have a friend...A wolf friend. He has saved my hide on many occasions.>" She tilted her head as Brother spoke his latest words. "I am unsure of why. I come from a sheep ranch where the other canines frown upon coyotes, and even coyote hybrids. Perhaps I fear that the canines here will do the same. My mother was a friendly, well behaved sheep-herding dog, while my coyote father killed sheep for the fun of it. It may even be that I am afraid of becoming like my father if I am in the presence of other sheep-killers. You never know how many of those are in a pack..." She had only rarely seen her father, a loner, though she knew him well enough to know that he was not like her.

Elder Brother

He nodded, understanding her views perfectly, but it was distracted, for he was thinking hard to himself. If she was familiar with humans... Finally, after mulling it over, he spoke. Perhaps you might be comfortable at my home, then. It is a ranch, much like you are familiar with, but without the snootiness you mentioned. We have all kinds there. Dogs, wolf hybrids, wolves... yes we have even a couple of wolves that guard our flocks and masters. And I'm sure the masters would welcome another helper. He had in mind Minx, who was half wolf, half pitt-bull, and Artemis, a full-blooded wolf whose parents were once the terror of the ranch's flocks, though they now stayed away out of respect for their daughter's new family.

Makya

Makya smiled. "That sounds like a lovely place." She said happily, wagging her tail. "May we go there?"

Elder Brother

Brother returned her smile, tail waving. It felt good to talk to one of his wilder brethren again. So he nodded, voice soft. Oh yes, assuredly. My boy will be glad to see me back, I am sure. If you'll follow me... And he turned away, trotting back home to the ranch.

Makya

Makya wagged her bushy tail and followed.