Daŭra Kero: Chapters 1-3

Daŭra Kero

Chapter One:
        Ardon

  It was dawn, the sun was rising, the day was beginning.  The colorful sky only briefly caught my attention; I was focused on them, the Daŭra Kero dogs.  I’d been following the group for several days.  Though unsure of where they’d been, I knew where they were going.  The four dogs I’d been following were going home to FidoTero. 

  FidoTero is where I wanted to be; because there was one dog there that I wanted to meet, Tor.  He was a legend in his own time, known around the world as a hero and a loyal member of the Firma Kero. 

More importantly to me were the stories I’d heard about the company he kept, outcasts and enemy traitors and supposedly even wolves.  I knew that if anyone could find a place for a lonely drifter like me, it was Tor.  But I didn’t know much about the other Daŭra Kero dogs, so I stayed a safe distance from the strangers and followed them silently.

  During the day the dogs traveled at a steady pace, rarely stopping to rest.  It wasn’t always easy to keep up but I never lost them. 

I didn’t mind trailing behind them through the day, but at night I would worry.  Staying out of the dog’s sight meant staying a good distance away, alone and without shelter.  If anything were to happen while I was sleeping, if I were attacked by bears or wolves or other dogs, I wouldn’t be able to protect myself.  Due to my worries, I slept very little.

  But I still remember it like it was yesterday; I’d been following the Daŭra Kero dogs for eight long days, with barely any sleep and very little food.  And as I came to the top of another hill the grass seemed suddenly greener and thicker than ever before and my weary eyes fell on a very welcome sight, FidoTero.

  Just down the hill, settled in a valley was the pack of roughly forty dogs.  They had dug a large den into one of the hillsides, with a playful litter of pups just inside.  It seemed to be a place of sheer peace, most of the pack members were sprawled out in grass as if they hadn’t a worry in the world.

That changed slightly when they saw the four dogs coming back.  Everyone excitedly rushed to greet them at the foot of the hill and the air quickly filled with happy yelps of “welcome home!”

Then, coming up from the den and making his way through the crowd was Tor.  I could tell it was him only because of the way the crowd parted and let him through.  Had I have seen him anywhere else I never would have guessed that this was the legendary hero who fought the Morta Sango and the unseen enemy.

  It wasn’t easy to see what was going on, with the entire pack at the foot of the hill.  I was lying in the grass, careful to stay hidden, but I was having such a hard time seeing Tor.  So I slowly began inching my way down the hill, trying to stay as low as possible.  No one was looking, no one was barking, I was still unnoticed, so I moved in a bit closer.

  But I hadn’t traveled all that way just to catch a glimpse of Tor and the Daŭra Kero.  I had come to join the pack, and in order to do that I would need to speak to the leader himself.

I waited patiently for the excitement to die down and the pack to return to business as usual; still having no desire to attract attention.  To be spotted while hiding in the grass like that, well, I’d look something like a spy or an assassin, and that certainly would not be a good first impression.

  As everyone went their separate ways my eyes stayed on Tor.  He was headed back to the den with the dogs I’d followed.  It appeared that I wouldn’t be able to speak with Tor alone that night, so I made my way back up the hill and camped about a half mile away from the valley.

  Early in the morning I was back on that same hill, watching the daily commotion of the Daŭra Kero.  Hunting parties were assembled, the pups had their playtime, warriors and guards were sent out to patrol.  It was a wonderful sight.  And in the middle of it all was my hero; Tor oversaw every chore and duty, making sure that every dog contributed to the pack that day.  I felt honored to watch him in action.

  Still buried in the tall, thick grass I stayed motionless and silent.  I would have held my breath if I thought it would’ve kept me hidden.  But my camouflage wasn’t as effective as I wanted it to be and I was eventually seen.

  It caught me off guard when I first heard the voice,
“What are you doing in FidoTerro?  You don’t belong to the chief’s pack.”

I spun my head in every direction, trying to spot whoever had seen me without attracting any more attention.  But there were no other dogs on the hill.

“Whoever you are” I whispered “I don’t mean any harm.  Promise me you won’t tell anyone I’m here and I’ll leave right now.”

“Okay” the voice replied “but it seems odd.  By the look on your face I’d guess you found paradise, yet you want to leave?
  “And I thought you were a messenger.  I should’ve known better, messengers don’t hide from Tor.”  The voice mumbled as it slowly faded away.

“Wait” I called quietly “do you know Tor? Can you take me to meet him?”

  I listened for the voice to come again, but didn’t even hear footsteps.  I wondered briefly if it had been my imagination, until a little rat popped through the grass and onto my paw.

“Well yes I could take you to meet the chief; I’ve never known him to turn away a new comer.” He squeaked.

  I was more than a bit taken back, however I remembered hearing stories about a rat that had traveled to Promeso with the Tor.  It was one part of the story I’d never believed.  But noticing how the little rodent didn’t seem at all shaken as he sat on my foot, awaiting my response, I almost had to believe that this was that same rat and no doubt a friend of my hero’s.

“I’d be honored to meet him.” I finally replied.

“Alright then” he said smiling “Welcome to FidoTerro… I didn’t catch your name friend.”

“Ardon.” I replied as I got to my feet.

The rat smiled again, “Well then, welcome Ardon.”
And he sprang off of my paw and back into the grass.

“And what do I call you?” I asked as I tried to follow my little guide.

He turned around and came closer again, stopping to look up at my face he replied happily, “Cuan.  You can call me Cuan, Sir.”










Chapter Two:
        Living Legends

  As I stepped into the den I was surprised at how big it was.  There was enough room for more than a dozen dogs to rest comfortably within its walls and unique to any den I’d ever seen it had a second entrance on the other side of the hill.  I couldn’t imagine how long it had taken to dig such an elaborate home.

  I was lost for a moment, lost in the amazement of that place and all of the curious faces.  Finally I remembered why I was there, but Cuan had disappeared and left me standing alone.  The feeling of amazement instantly vanished when I realized I was on my own.  So I cautiously began backing out of the den.

I didn’t get very far before my actions had the pack’s attention.  I noticed hackles rising and the quiet peace of FidoTero was gone as several of the dogs got to their feet growling.  In a panic I turned and ran back out into the field, but no matter where I turned there were more dogs. 

  Cuan was still nowhere to be seen and I was starting to wonder if the little rat had set me up. 

It didn’t take long before I found myself completely surrounded.  I was preparing myself for the inevitable attack when a roar silenced the pack.  Tails tucked and the dogs scattered as a cougar strolled through the field in my direction.  The cat was enormous and it’s wide amber eyes were trained on me.  I was sure at that moment that I was as good as dead.

  But as he approached he turned his attention to a big yellow dog.

“Lorcan” he growled “what did this dog do?”

“I’m not sure.” the big dog replied.

“So why are you attacking him?”

“Well” the dog said quietly “he was running, and the others were chasing him…”

“So you assume he’s in the wrong” the cat interrupted “and join the fight.  Is that it?”

  As the dog turned and walked away Cuan reappeared at my feet with a smile.

  “I see you made some new friends in my absence.” He squeaked.

“No, I don’t think I did.” I sighed.

“Nonsense, you made one friend.” He continued, gesturing to the cougar “This is Emer.  I know you wanted to meet Tor but as it turns out he’s off on a hunt. 
“But Emer here knows Tor almost as well as I do.  In fact the only one who would know him better than us is Cadogan.”

I recognized that name instantly.  Cadogan was Tor’s constant companion on the journey to Promeso and was said to be a great warrior.

  “Is he here?” I asked hopefully.

Emer nodded his head and ushered me off to a lower part of the valley.

  As we entered this portion of FidoTero I saw ahead a small group resting apart from the pack.  There were six dogs and a massive black wolf lounging in the soft green grass.  Cuan bounded ahead and leapt onto the snout of a little tri-colored dog.

To my amazement that little dog turned out to be Cadogan.  A dog famed to be a hero and a warrior and he wasn’t half my size.  Between this, the rat and the cougar, legends were looking more and more like lies.  I wondered, was there any truth to the stories I’d heard?

  The truth behind the stories I’d been told was something the group was quickly to reveal.  For example Malachi was said to have been a spy for the Firma Kero, placed in an enemy pack only to be discovered by their leader and chased off.
  But Malachi himself told me that he was no spy, he had been raised to be a “Morta Sango” Warrior.  Secretly however he knew that he was on the wrong side and when he was called on to assassinate Tor, he decided it was his chance to do something right.  He abandon his pack and his mission to help Tor and the others escape the wrath of his former pack.

  Sitting and talking with the friends that had helped my hero and been helped by my hero was almost as good as talking with the dog himself. 

  In a matter of hours I learned how each of them had played an important role in the journey to Promeso.  Including little Cuan who I’m told even saved a few lives on the venture. 

  I heard tales of battles won and lives lost, of friends left behind and of enemies still hunting them.  But the past didn’t seem to weigh any of them down; they were all care-free spirits and the atmosphere around them was relaxed and welcoming.  I enjoyed their company and was convinced in that moment that I had indeed found a place to call home and a pack that I was meant to be a part of.


















Chapter Three:
        A Tale Of Florry

  I’m not sure how long I sat and listened to my new friends go on about their lives and their many adventures.  I was too lost in the moment to worry about time, content to absorb every word they spoke.  Right there, right then I was in paradise.

  My concentration was only broken by the arrival of two new dogs, one of whom I recognized instantly.  As I watched Tor stroll up and find a place beside Cadogan, I stopped breathing.  In the brilliant light from the sun setting behind us, the copper tone coat of my hero seemed to glow and in his presence I found myself speechless.  But no one there shared my sense of awe.

  The two dogs immediately jumped into the conversation, but as their eyes traveled across their group of friends they noticed an unfamiliar face; mine.

The dog who had come in with Tor was staring directly at me, his lion like mane ruffled and the ebony black nose at the end of his long snout twitching. 

“And who is this?” he asked.

Before anyone else could get a word out Cuan hopped over to Tor and stopped at his feet.

“He’s a friend” he squeaked “and from what I understand he traveled quite a ways just to see you Chief.”

Tor’s eyes widened and then drifted from the little rat to me, with all seriousness.

“Well here I am.  Why are you looking for me?” he asked.

It was at that instant that every question I ever wanted to ask abandoned my memory.  Here was my hero, giving me his undivided attention; and I had nothing to say.  I felt like an idiot.

“I’m sure you’ll remember later.” He said with a smile.  “I take it you’ve met everyone else, but I’m Tor and this is a friend of mine; Florry.”

It took me another minute but I responded finally,

“I’m Ardon.” I replied “Your friends were just sharing their stories, amazing stories, about your adventures together and..”

“Don’t listen to them” Tor interrupted “they’re all horrible liars, those stories get bigger every time they tell them.”

“Then maybe you could tell me what really happened.” I barked.

“It wouldn’t help” he sighed “I’m the worst of lot.”

  As everyone else settled back down my world was spinning.  I was in the place I’d wanted to be for so long, in the midst of legends and heroes.  But it was better than I’d imagined, because what I’d imagined was a place at the end of the line and the bottom of the heap.  I had expected to be treated like the stranger I was, instead I was treated like an old friend.  So I’d found what I went looking for, a place in the pack.

  As the night wore on I became more curious about Florry and how he’d come to join the Daŭra Kero.  He had a presence that he carried with him, powerful and regal, and I wondered where that came from.

  When I asked him how he had come to the pack the big tri-color dog shook his head gave a long sad sigh.

“It’s not a story you don’t want to hear lad.” He responded, almost whimpering.

“Despite what you think friend, I’m still convinced that your story will have a happy ending.” Tor quietly replied.

There must have been some secret incentive to share in what Tor said, because the big dog nodded his head and then struggled to begin telling his tale.

“It seems like so long ago now, yet like it was yesterday, I was young and strong and proud.  I was leader of pack called Ribelema, actually I was the descendent of the founder of the pack.  My family had owned the land and led the pack for countless generations.  It was as close to a king as a dog could ever hope to be.

  “My life changed when a group of Firma Kero dogs came through our territory.  I took a team of warriors out to fight the intruders, but they wouldn’t fight back.  I sought out the dog in charge and as I went to attack, asked him mockingly to tell me what it was he was willing to die for.  He looked me straight in the eyes and answered “I’ll give up my life, if it gives the Great Dio an entrance to yours” and right then I called off the attack.

  “My warriors didn’t understand why I called them off; all they could see were intruders that needed to die.  What I saw was much different, peacemakers and compassionate souls, and I couldn’t allow their deaths.  The event tore apart my world of an eye for an eye, blood for blood, and found myself wondering what they had that made them the way they were.

  “My curiosity only grew through the night and the next morning I went looking for the Firma Kero.  I wanted to know who they were and who this Great Dio was.  When I found them I got all the answers I went looking for and then some.

  “So Later on I announced to my pack the Ribelema that we would be dropping that name and joining the Firma Kero.  Before I even had a chance to explain myself, I was attacked and chased off of my own territory.  I went along with the Firma Kero dogs, but when the leader I’d spoken to stopped here in FidoTero, I stayed with him.  I simply haven’t left since then.”

“So Tor was the leader who you almost killed, right?” I asked hesitantly.

“Yes.  That was how I met Tor, and though I’m glad I did… sometimes I still miss that place and my family.” Florry groaned.

It was a sad story, run out of his home by family and friends that he would probably never see again.  I knew what it was like to be forced out a place I thought was home. 
 
Like Tor, I couldn’t help but believe that Florry’s tale would have a happy ending, but for his sake I hoped it would come soon.