It started one Friday evening. All of the goats were standing still, staring intently into the woods. They didn't move, they didn't make a sound.
When a derelict truck is found in the driveway, Scott and his friend Gina search the wood lot out back...
Scott never would have thought that there was any point in replacing Cooper. After all, you don't just replace a loyal friend. But when that coyote gave birth on their back deck and immediately succumbed to wounds she had gotten during the battle with the Djieien (or so Scott assumed), it seemed to him like she was bringing her baby to him to care for.
He knew that, at some point, he'd be turning the little fellow over to the pack that still kept their dens in the forest. Several times now, the pup had been howling out the back window and Scott could hear the coyotes in the woods answering back. Once, a few even ventured up to the house to see if they could get a better look at the little guy.
For now, Scott was content raising him as if he was just another dog. Emily had insisted they name him Theo, after their fallen friend. After all, it was Theo that made winning that war possible, and he deserved some sort of remembrance.
Today Scott and Emily were on the back deck, enjoying some late Winter sun. Theo was sleeping peacefully in Scott's lap when Olivia wandered onto the deck and started doing figure-8s around Scott's feet. After a few laps, she jumped up onto Emily's lap, curled up and began purring loudly.
"Do you think Olivia approves?" Emily asked.
"Approves of what?" Scott didn't look up from his task of petting his furry charge.
"Theo, of course. Do you think she's ok with you handling that coyote pup?"
"I think, if she had a problem with him, she'd have done something by now to let me know." Scott reached over and stroked the cat several times.
Sensing Scott's change in focus, Theo jumped down to the floor of the deck and, after stretching a few moments, trotted out into the yard. At first Scott thought he was going to take care of business, but then he seemed to change his mind and he headed over to the rear corner of the fence.
Once there, he began howling comically. At this young age, he didn't sound anything like a dog, but he didn't really sound like the coyotes yet either. Scott went to stand, figuring he'd go pick up the little guy, when he saw a rustle in the brush along the forest edge.
Scott and Theo both froze. As Scott watched, an adult coyote stepped out from the cover of brush and walked boldly up to the fence. The two canines touched noses through the fence. The adult licked the top of the puppy's head, gave a few crisp yips, and turned to trot back into the forest. Theo sat down, cleaned his feet, then made his way back to the deck where he hopped up into Scott's lap and curled up to go back to sleep.
Scott and Emily looked at each other a moment, then together, broke out in laughter.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
It was dark when he awoke. It was always dark. But his mother had warned him of the dangers of this world, so he stayed in the burrow for now. Soon he would follow his mother's instructions and find a safe place to bury his heart. The bits of food she had left him wouldn't last much longer. He would need to take that step very soon. And then his life would really begin. In a world rich with game, he would make his way. Perhaps he could even discover why she hadn't returned. But that would be for another day. Today he would rest and prepare.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
