Chapter 4
Halfgold let out a yelp of surprise. The huge figure was black and catlike. “What’s all this commotion about?”Asked Redloyal “J-Jaguar!”
“Everybody scatter!”Blackdog yelped in surprise. Then other jaguars appeared behind the alpha. Halfgold almost fainted at that sight. What were they going to do? Halfgold was paralyzed by shock. A jaguar noticed her and started to chase her. The jaguar was huge and much much stronger than her. The jaguar leaped nimbly from tree to tree, always keeping her in sight.The jaguar was determined to catch her. Then at the last moment he pounced. Luckily when the jaguar pounced she jumped off the fallen stump she was on. The jaguar gave a yowl of dismay. Halfgold dove under a fallen tree. The jaguar tried to squeeze under, but it was no use, Halfgold was safe! The jaguar’s leader called them back to him. And the jaguars ran away.Halfgold looked around for the other dogs. Blackdog was safe from harm. She had escaped the jaguar by squeezing into a small cave that the jaguars couldn’t get into. Halfgold looked for Halfspeckle and Redloyal. She spotted Halfspeckle, he had dove into a small cave like Blackdog’s. Redloyal however was not in good condition
Then she heard Redloyal speak his final words “You know, I had a good life. The pack of ancestors had told me my fate would be soon. And tell Orangebrave, i’ll always be there for him.” Then Redloyal’s eyes went blank. His tail gave a last twitch and he was dead. Halfgold could smell the reek of death even from her spot.
“No!” Blackdog yowled “Pack of Ancestors please spare his life! You can’t do this to him. He was a good deputy!” Halfgold could almost hear Redloyal’s breathing in her ear and then saw a flash of his red hair. Then Halfgold felt a raindrop land on her nose. It seemed that The Pack of Ancestors was mourning his death too.Halfgold sprinted to Halfspeckle to ask what had happened.
Halfspeckle barked shakily “He-he saved my life! I-I was running f-from a j-jaguar the jaguar c-caught up to m-me. Th-the jaguar w-was going for the k-killing blow. Th-then R-Redloyal…” Then Halfspeckle fainted. Halfgold decided she would ask him the next day. Halfgold went to breathe in Redloyal’s scent before the rain washed it away.
Halfgold heard Blackdog whispered in Redloyal’s ear “There will never be a dog like you.”
Halfgold whispered in Redloyal’s ear “I will never forget you.”
“We will have to rest in the cave until Halfspeckle wakes up.” Blackdog barked “We cannot go to the ancient oak after all that has happened.” Halfgold hung her head low unsure what to say. Together Blackdog and Halfgold brought Halfspeckle and Redloyal into the camp.
“I’ll get some bedding for Halfspeckle.”Halfgold barked. Halfgold still could smell death from Redloyal’s fur and thought about how close she was to Redloyal’s death. She caught a rabbit near a tree that seemed to never end. Then she went back to the cave. She found a good spot near the entrance for herself and Halfspeckle to sleep. Then she dragged Halfspeckle to his sleeping spot, Halfspeckle’s tail brushing the floor. She tore some fur from the rabbit she caught and put some of the fur on her spot to sleep and Halfspeckle’s sleeping spot. She then ate the remnants of her rabbit.She spotted Blackdog laying next to Redloyal’s body whispering praises to Redloyal, and prayers to The Pack of Ancestors. He was still mourning and in shock. When she laid down she felt her body slowly fall asleep.
In her dream Creamdog warned her “Beware one of your own.”