Rivals to Brothers-A Paw Patrol Story

Chapter Sixteen

Ryder was sitting on a boulder while Justin and Jake talked. His legs ached from walking for a long time. Jake and Justin were leaning against the cave wall as they spoke. They were trying to figure out what to do until help could arrive in the morning. Ryder suggested they could walk through the woods, but Jake warned about bears and wolves, so the idea was turned down.

Ryder looked out the entrance of the cave. Tall trees didn't let him see a hundred feet ahead. Above their heads, the Milky Way galaxy shone all of its glory. The cool air made the situation seem calmer than it was. For a second, Ryder forgot that they were lost in the woods with finite food and water.

Then he heard some shuffling from inside the cave. He instantly got up and turned around. Jake and Justin got up as well. "What's wrong?" they asked in unison.

"Something's in the cave," Ryder replied. The three men huddled up and faced the cave. Justin picked up a broken branch like a baseball bat, and Jake raised his fist. The shuffling continued.

Ryder's heart began racing, beating faster against his ribs. He hoped it wasn't a bear, but he wasn't sure. The shuffle stopped, and two animals jumped over a boulder into view. All three of the men jumped before they realized who the creatures were.

"Wait," Ryder said, pushing through. "It's Chase and Marshall."

"Ryder!!" Chase and Marshall said in unison. The pups ran up to the boy and tackled him to the ground, licking his face. Ryder laughed as their tongues tickled him.

Jake and Justin laughed. Chase and Marshall eventually got off a Ryder and went to Jake and Justin. The pups were pet and scratched behind the ear.

"Nice job finding us," Jake said. "By the way, how did you find us?"

"Chase followed the scent of your beef jerky," Marshall replied.

"All the way from the cabin?" Jake asked as he pulled the jerky packet out of his pocket. It still had a few pieces inside it, so Jake offered them to the pups. Chase and Marshall gladly accepted the jerky.

"Yeah," Chase said with his mouth full of jerky. "It has a strong smell." He swallowed the jerky and licked his teeth. "The taste is better than the smell, though." Everyone laughed at the joke.

"Well, then," Justin said. "But now we gotta wait till morning for all of us to return. None of us know the way back."

"We do," Chase said. "We could find the way back. Right, Marshall?"

"Yeah," Marshall said.

Justin and Ryder were shocked to see how well the pups treated each other. "Well, then," Justin said. "Lead the way, pups."

Half an hour later, all five arrived back at the cabin. Thanks to Chase's sense of smell, they didn't walk near places where bears roamed.

"Thanks a lot, pups," Jake said. "Do you guys want to stay here for the night?"

"We would," Ryder replied, "But my mom must be worried sick."

Jake shrugged. "Makes sense. Oh, wait." He ran into the cabin and reappeared outside with a basket full of blue fruits. "These are the Bayberries I told you about," Jake said. "Take this as a thank-you gift."

Ryder grabbed the basket. "Thanks, Jake," he said.

Justin, Ryder, and the pups hopped into the cruiser, waved goodbye to Jake, and headed back down the mountain.

"I gotta say," Justin said. "I'm proud of you guys. You were able to find us by yourself. And to think that last week, you both were at each other's throats. Now, you're what? Best friends or something?"

Chase and Marshall looked at each other and came to a silent agreement. They may have their differences, but that didn't matter. They were going to have each other's back forever. If one of them needed help, the other one would be there. They no longer felt the jealousy or anger they had a week prior. Justin was right. Chase and Marshall were enemies in the beginning, but all that changed. Now, the two pups were more than best friends. They were family. They went from rivals to brothers.

"Yeah," Chase and Marshall said in unison.

"Well, that's great to hear," Justin said. "You know, I think you two are ready to join us again on missions. What do you think, Ryder?"

"Yeah," Ryder said. "Totally."

Chase and Marshall smiled since they returned to helping people after a long time. They were going to do it together, alongside Ryder and Justin. They were going to start a team. A Paw Patrol.