Prone To Wander (rough draft)

Chapter Twenty Seven

Malaki soon found that he could get around decently on three paws. He could not however, walk on his hind paws, and use his fore paws for anything else... that made many things difficult. The others kept telling him to simply rest, and let his body heal. Simply resting however, was nearly impossible. Every time the young squirrel tried to lay down, his mind flooded with thoughts. He shouldn't have crossed the brush wall, he knew that... but what if he hadn't, and the enemy had come back later with reinforcements to attack the whole group? Maybe it was better the way it had turned out.

His mind also turned to the slaying of the enemy. Several times, he had seen Arkadi with his quarry, after a hunt. But this had been the first time he'd seen the dog kill a creature, it was a sight he would never forget. Neither would he forget what he saw under Quinn's paw, hardly recognizable as a weasel, was the mangled pile of fur, flesh and blood. He had been given reminders of just how fortunate he and his family were, to have such friends. Malaki could feel something was different when he thought about them, but couldn't place his paw on what had changed.

After two days of sleep evading him, the young squirrel gave up, and started searching the clearing. He was looking for Quinn. When he found the raccoon he half hopped, half hobbled over, sat beside him, and looked up at the masked face. “Uncle Quinn, can I talk to you?”

“Well, of course. What's wrong? I thought you were trying to rest.”

“Trying and failing,” Malaki grumbled. One of the large, dark paws wrapped around him, and there was that “something different” again. He remembered what that paw had done, and felt grateful, or maybe more humbled, that it was there to show him only kindness. “I guess, I just wanted to say thank you. Though that doesn't seem like enough.”

“You're still here,” Quinn said, tussling his ears with one claw, “That's thanks enough for me.”

Malaki wanted to say more, but the words wouldn't come, and he couldn't find them, however hard he searched his mind. Finally, he scrambled up to the raccoon's shoulder and settled there.

“Don't tell me you're more comfortable here than in a proper nest,” Quinn said, almost laughing.

“A nest doesn't come running when I'm in trouble,” the squirrel replied.

“That is true... but I know a couple of dogs that do. How 'bout, we go visit them?”

Malaki couldn't have been happier with the suggestion.

When they arrived at the den, both Niki and Arkadi were there. The squirrel rushed, as best he could on three paws, up to Niki. She sniffed him thoroughly, whimpered, and nuzzled him. Malaki was a bit surprised when he felt Arkadi's nose pressing in from the opposite side. He was between the two great muzzles, and that “something different” was there too.

Once the muzzles pulled away, he looked up to Arkadi and said, “I can't remember if I said it before, but then I don't think I could say it too many times... thank you, Arkadi.”

“I'm just glad I was close enough to hear you,” he replied.

It wasn't long before Malaki was lured to the center of the den, by the soft whimpering of the litter. He patted every nose, ending with Angus, who now seemed determind to get hold of the squirrels paw. Malaki sat and stroked the muzzle with his free paw, saying, “Alright Angus, I don't mind if you suckle my paw now, but you won't be able to forever. You'll be far too big for that some day.”

“I think he likes you,” Arkadi said with a smile.

“That's what Niki says. I think he's wonderful... we're going to be best friends, just wait and see.”

“I bet you will.”

When Quinn said he needed to leave, so he could go fishing before nightfall, the young squirrel begged to stay longer. “I could wait here, and you could come back to get me when you're done,” he said, hopefully. But Quinn didn't want to make an extra trip. Thankfully, the dogs came to Malaki's rescue and offered to take him back to camp later. It was agreed, and he was thrilled to spend his evening with the puppies. Angus let go of the squirrel's paw, eventually, and he was able to dote on the others again.

It was nearly dark when Niki woke her mate, and told him it was time to take their guest back to the clearing.

Arkadi looked at him, sleeping soundly between Angus and another puppy, “But look at him,” he said quietly, “He's fast asleep... just another puppy in the litter.”

“Very funny. You don't want his poor family to worry, do you? After they nearly lost him?”

Arkadi sighed, rose to his paws, and nudged the squirrel, “Malaki, it's time to go home.”

Malaki stretched and yawned, and got to his own paws, with a quick, painful reminder that one of his legs was wounded. He looked out the entrance and could see by the amber light, that the sun was beginning to set. “I'm sorry Arkadi, I won't be able to keep up with you.”

“I wasn't expecting you to,” the dog replied, “Can you climb up onto my shoulders, or should I carry you?” At the offer, the squirrel climbed up with few difficulties, and perched on the broad shoulders.

When Arkadi strolled into the clearing, Kalah nearly ran up to him. “Do you have Malaki with you?” she asked, “Quinn said you'd be bringing him.”

The dogs muzzle dipped down close to her, “I think he's fallen asleep,” he said, “You might have to climb up and wake him.”

Kalah was unsure of what he meant for a moment, when she realized where her son was, she nearly started to climb up herself. Kalah stopped at the great paw, “He might need help getting down... will you wait a moment?”

Before even getting an answer, she dashed to the firepit and asked Ruben to lend a paw. He smiled and made his way over, greeting Arkadi as he came, then scrambled up to the dogs shoulders and found that his nephew had indeed fallen back to sleep. “Is there any chance you could lay down?” he asked the dog. “It would make this a bit easier.”

“Yes, of course”

Ruben gave Malaki a shake, and he came partly awake. To get down, Ruben held Malaki's forepaws, and lowered him carefully, so he could land without using his bad leg... it was awkward, but they managed it. All three of the squirrels wished Arkadi a good night, and the dog rose back to his paws.

“I think I might patrol 'round the clearing once or twice before heading back to the den. Just to make sure everything is safe.”

“We would all rest a little easier if you did,” Ruben told him.

He did patrol. Once on the forest side, and once on the clearing side of the brush wall. He was patroling on the clearing side, when Kelly surprised him, by running up and wrapping her paws around one of his fore legs. The raccoon kit said a very polite, “good evening, sir” and asked if he wanted to join in on the game.

“You want me to play?”

“Yes sir, if you'd like to.”

“And who else is playing?”

“Cavan and Vincent,” she answered, just as they both came racing around a tree stump, and skidded to a collective halt at the big dogs paws.

Vincent straightened himself at once, saying, “Good evening, sir.”

Cavan was watching his sister. He was delighted to see that the dog was tollerating her so well, and ventured to wrap his paws around the other fore leg. “It's very nice to see you again, sir,” he said.

“I asked Arkadi to play a game with us,” Kelly announced. “Did you decide if you wanted to play?”

“Maybe just once,” he sighed, “You'll have to tell me the rules.”

“The rules are simple... there's a big tree stump on the other side of the clearing, that no one is using. That will be “home”. If the prey gets to home before being caught, then prey wins. But if someone catches the prey, they win.”

“And who's the prey?”

“Vincent usually is. Unless the squirrels are playing, but it's a bit late for the little ones. And, well, Malaki can't play until he's better,” Kelly's cheerful tone wavered. The next moment, she received a lick on her face, and she looked up at the dog in surprise.

“Alright, let's get started. I'll need to be headed back to the den soon.”

“That's alright, sir,” Vincent said with a nervous smile, “We don't need to take up your valuable time, I'm sure Niki's waiting for you.”

Arkadi only smiled back at him, and waited for one of the kits to convince the weasel to start running. He was given a generous head start, before the other creatures took off after him. The dog was fast, but the ermine was small and nimble. He dashed in and out of cover, back tracked to confuse his pursuers, and came much closer to winning than anyone expected. His mistake, was to run along where they had set aside building supplies to put up another store house. It wasn't anything like enough cover. The dog saw the movement and was after it, the paws came down, one on either side of him.

Vincent couldn't help but give a shudder as the jaws came down, however Arkadi only gave him a licking and said, “I think I won.”

“Yes, you did,” the ermine sighed in relief. “And you're being very kind about it, sir, thank you.”

“I'm sure the puppies will have fun with your game, when they're a little bigger.”

When the kits caught up, Arkadi said “good-night” to everyone, and headed toward the den. Cavan and Kelly were instantly trying to begin a new game, but Vincent said he needed a moment to calm his nerves... he had expected losing a game with Arkadi to end differently. Not that he'd expected to be hurt, but he had thought he would end up between the dogs teeth, and that idea still rattled him.