Chapter 1
The small plane sputtered, veering right
and left as it lost altitude in the oxygen-depleted air over the Himalayas.
“We’re not gonna make it,” said the man
in the co-pilot seat.
“Oh, we’ll make it,” said the man
attempting to steady the dilapidated plane. “We better make it. You know what
we got in back. And you know who it belongs to.”
In the back of the Cessna, one large
cage sat at the tail end of the plane, bolted down. Lying on the floor of the
cage was a hound dog, seemingly undisturbed by the chaos happening just outside
the metal bars around him. His eyes remained wide open, not with fear, but with
acute awareness. He had no concern for his own safety; his only concern was the
safety of the two small creatures burrowing themselves under his belly.
Despite a valiant effort by the pilot,
the man in the co-pilot seat turned out to be right. They did not make it. The
sudden storm that had caused the plane so many problems had finally passed and
the midday sun shone down on the metal parts scattered all over the mountain
pass. There was no sound or movement from the cockpit.
There was no movement in the back of the
plane, either. The cage remained bolted
down, but the door had swung open. The cage was empty.
The sun shined bright, but the wind was
biting. The cold was unlike anything the young hound had ever felt before. It
didn’t matter. He needed to find some food and a safe place away from any
predators. He stopped to get a better grip on his two companions. He hoped he wasn’t
hurting them with his strong jaws, but it was the only way he knew to transport
them. They were too fragile to walk on their own, and it was his duty to
protect them.
The mountain that had seemed so distant
from the wrecked plane was finally getting closer. He’d try to find some hikers
who might take pity on him.
The sun was starting to slip behind the
mountain peak. The sun would be completely out of sight soon and the
temperature would drop another 50 degrees. His companions were still in shock from
the crash and wouldn’t last very long if left exposed to the harsh weather. He
had to find sanctuary.
The sun barely peeked over the mountain
top. The hound limped closer to the base of the mountain. There were no humans
in sight. The wind was picking up and beginning to toss around wet snow and
strange sounds. He couldn’t be sure if it was the wind itself moaning or
something in the mountains, watching them. The hair on his back stood straight
up and his fellow travelers squirmed and wiggled anxiously. He needed to rest,
but he knew he couldn’t. Unfortunately, his body didn’t agree. He walked a few
more strides before falling to his side. He loosened his grip on the kittens.
They lay next to him, rubbing their noses on his head and pawing him gently in
an attempt to move him. After a few minutes, they gave up and burrowed
themselves into their favorite hiding spot under his belly.
The leopard saw its opportunity. There
was nothing stopping it from getting to the warm meat lying in a heap at the foot
of the mountain. It took one more look around and sped towards the exhausted
dog.
The leopard never felt the arrow that
struck its temple and shattered its skull.
The hound felt himself moving and
groggily opened his eyes. He was slowly being dragged up the mountain on a
small sled. He yelped once frantically, not seeing his companions, but he then felt
their warm bodies on his back, kneading his fur with their tiny paws. He sighed
and looked towards the shape that was pulling his sled. He saw nothing but a
dark, human-like mass with a rope tied around the waist connected to the sled.
The moving mass heard the yelp and stopped. It turned slowly; everything moved
slowly in this cold. Underneath a dark hood, two fierce, bright eyes looked intensely
upon the animals. The hound was transfixed by the gaze. It felt calming,
reassuring. He had a sense that he and his companions had reached their sanctuary;
in fact, he felt as if this was where they were meant to be all along. He closed
his eyes and drifted off.
End Chapter 1
I Love You All...Class Dismissed.
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