Hello again everyone! Thanks to those that reviewed, favorited and followed my story as your actions definitely feed my muse . This story is about Mercy and the Aspen Creek friendly neighbourhood vet. Thursdays seem to be working for me so I'll try to update once a week!

As always, anything you recognize belongs to the brilliant mind of Patricia Briggs!

The Grass is Always Greener

He leaned his forearms on the top board of the fence. He was staring intently at his charge that was currently standing immobile glaring right back at him. The Doc had a lot of experience in his life with stubborn creatures, and he saw all the signs indicating that this would be a drawn out battle of wills.

The battle seemed at a standstill when Doc Wallace noticed a sudden alertness in his patient just before a weight hit him in the back of each leg just below the knees that caused them to briefly buckle. His forearms kept him upright so he quickly regained his balance. He turned around and saw a few feet away a small coyote sitting back on its haunches with its tongue hanging out of one side of its mouth.

Doc Wallace chuckled and went down on one knee as the coyote came over to accept an ear scratch.

"Hey there Mercy-girl, what are you doing wandering out this far?"

The small farm they were on was about 10 miles as a crow flies from Aspen Creek, but substantially farther by back roads. Mercy ignored the question while she continued to bump her head against the arm and hand of one of her favorite people in town.

After a moment Doc Wallace leaned back on his heels and looked at her intently. Mercy stared back up at the portly balding man that had a genuine smile and twinkling blue eyes. He drawled "Since you're here, do you mind giving me a hand?"

Mercy stepped back, bounced on her hind feet for a moment and gave a yip. Doc Wallace turned around and looked back towards a paddock filled with about 25 sheep and one very ornery llama. He pointed with his chin to the llama and said "That's Jezebel and I came out last week to give her some stitches from a pretty nasty gash she got on her back leg. I need to see her walking and moving around a bit to see if she has any lingering strain or damage. Unfortunately she has just been standing there staring at me for the last 20 minutes. She's in there because llamas, alpacas, donkeys and mules hate any member of the canine family and they act as guard animals. If a coyote for example were to encroach in on the herd they are guarding, they will attack them and drive them away."

He turned around and in a serious tone said "Now I don't want you getting hurt so keep your distance girl. That llama is very good at her job! But, if you could use that natural ability of yours to ruffle some feathers I'd appreciate it."

Mercy smiled at the Doc, but then faced the paddock and hunched down. She wiggled her haunches to get into position before she bounded in between the two wood slats of the fence into the paddock. What the Doc didn't know was that Jezebel and Mercy were already well acquainted and had a colourful history of playing a high impact version of chicken. Mercy liked the challenge as llamas have a few unique tricks. Their front hooves are quite sharp and given the chance, the will flick them upwards to flip the animal onto their backs before trampling and slashing at them. Also they have a unique way of moving, as they commonly jump laterally and kick out to the back or side with their hind legs.

Mercy had no real designs on the sheep, but it was an entertaining game to her all the same. As Mercy slowly stalked around the outside edge of the paddock in the direction of the flock, she kept her eyes on the llama that had now extended her neck out and was walking on an intercept route between Mercy and the sheep.

Mercy picked up the pace a bit and started to lope toward the sheep and she heard the distinctive sharp whinnying cry of the llama and the sound of hooves starting to charge at her. Mercy heard Doc Wallace yell that it was enough and to get out of there, but she was just starting to have fun. She danced to the side out of the way of pawing hooves and loped around behind Jezebel to growl and yip at her before darting away again. Llamas' eyes are set more forward facing than most herbivores, so their field of view to their side and rear is far more limited than that of a horse for example. Mercy used that to encroach in on the llama before drawing it back and away from the herd.

By continuing to dart in and away from the disgruntled animal, she slowly led it back towards the fence near Doc Wallace. Feeling that it was time to end the game given their increasingly anxious spectator, Mercy, like her distant Border Collie cousins, bounded up to use the llama's back as a spring board before vaulting over the fence.

Mercy trotted back to sit beside Doc Wallace and looked up at him. He had stepped a few feet away from the fence and was breathing heavy with his hand over his heart. He rumbled out "You are scary beyond all reason girl, and the kicker is I can't even be mad at you for it". Mercy grinned up at him.

Just then, they saw movement out of the corner of their eyes and heard a deafening BANG. It appeared that Jezebel had taken offense to being smited in their game. She had turned around and taken out the bottom board and cracked the top of the fence with the force of Jezebel's kick with her back feet.

The herd of sheep had started to meander over to their protector, and true to form, they would soon be enticed by the grass that must be greener on the other side of the mangled fence. Jezebel, like most llamas, stood over six feet tall, so she wasn't able to escape the paddock, but her more diminutive charges would easily be able.

Doc Wallace sighed and looked down at Mercy. He said "I can't believe I'm asking this after what just happened, but can you play sheepdog for a few minutes while I go and find some materials from the barn to patch up that hole?"

Mercy grinned. He nodded and muttered "Watch yourself, I really don't want to think up a way to explain this to Bran."

Mercy wiggled her haunches and got ready for round two.

Thanks for reading along! Send me a review or PM if you have a character in mind. See you next week and Happy Labour Day Everyone!