Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Behind Every Great Man There Is A Great Dog
Chapter Two
Now! Go On The Journey of An Adult!
Cross could feel it in her body that she was giving it all she had on the run, but still it wasn't enough. Their slow reaction to the Leader's call, and their location, had doomed the platoons to come last. Something that was not appreciated by the Leader or Sniper.
On a quest like theirs, timing and precision was everything.
At least Ben had stopped to make sure Gin and John came with them. Cross hoped it would it would help ease over their late arrival.
When they reached the top of the last hill before their gathering place, Great and Smith hesitated a little, but Ben made the platoons march forward. No point in wasting more time. The wind was howling and Cross shivered from the chills, but she still got on the ground along with the rest of the dogs to creep forward as a way of apologizing to the Leader and show they were his subordinates.
She hated the shame it brought her to be in this position before Sniper who was already barking at them furiously. Ben spoke up and took the blame, even though Great wanted to stop him.
Ben tried to explain about Madara and how it had brought the pack Gin and John, but Sniper dismissed him immediately until Gin ran to the front and supported Ben.
A lot of the dogs reacted nervously and shifted around in anticipation of Sniper's reaction to the strange pup who blatantly disrespected him. Cross felt nervous for Gin and every nerve in her body was ready to jump in, in case Sniper tried to hurt the brave little pup.
When John joined Gin at the front it didn't help things. It was as easy for Sniper as anyone else to see how cocky John was and it was not a trait Sniper appreciated. But it was still Ben he went off on, calling him a bastard and puny platoon leader.
Smith joined Cross and said under his breath "Here we go again."
It wasn't the first time Sniper had involuntarily shown how threatened he was by Ben.
"Ben becomes more powerful every day." Cross answered Smith, and it was true. No one in the pack doubted how much the Leader trusted and admired Ben for all of his qualities and strength.
All the dogs were talking amongst themselves now, Ben was a clear favorite amongst them compared to Sniper and Cross was afraid the Commander would feel the crowd turning against him. Then things took a turn for the weirder.
As soon as a large cloud had passed and the moonlight shone on the Leader Gin made an impressive jump onto the structure the Leader was on top of and cried out "My father." shocking everyone.
Even Ben lost his cool and Cross knew her jaw had dropped.
Just as suddenly as Gin had made the jump, Sniper tackled him, sending them both to the ground. He threatened to bite Gin to death and Cross was about to come to Gin's defense, but Ben had gathered himself enough to reach out with his paw and stop her.
And it turned out Gin didn't even need her help, he easily dodged an attack from Sniper and began showing his teeth in aggression. Ben commented on the maneuver to Cross who still worried for Gin's safety.
Luckily before the fight progressed, the Leader finally spoke up and demanded them to stop. To further add fuel to the fire it was Sniper he chastised for it and then he praised Ben by agreeing that Gin was capable of fighting Akakabuto.
Ben merely bowed his head respectfully and almost missed Cross's beaming smile at him. Sniper looked like he was about to lose his mind. Even more so when the Leader right away accepted Gin's loyalty and gave a passionate speech about how every one of them was a child of his. A comrade.
Cross and Smith voiced their relief to each other and a few dogs joked about Gin being a suck-up.
All of them were called to order and finally the Leader could relay the message they'd all been gathered to hear; they were finally leaving. While each and every one of the dogs were focused on what the Leader was telling them, Cross could feel the restlessness in the air. The eagerness.
They had done everything they could so far in this area and now the rest of the country was theirs to explore.
And in only three moons she would get to have her revenge over Akakabuto.
Platoons one, two and three were told they would be heading south and Cross was pleased about that. The nature wasn't as unforgiving as some places up north and Ben knew the area very well and would know where to search and which places would be a waste of time.
Everyone parted into the four separate groups that would be leaving together the next morning and scrambled for a place to sleep, even though a lot of them were much too excited. Eventually when they had all calmed down a little Cross found a spot near Ben and lay down.
She couldn't remember exactly when it had started, but now they usually always slept next to each other. It brought her a sense of safety. They had never once spoken of the arrangement, it just happened.
Cross hadn't been asleep for very long, when a movement woke her up. She wasn't sure if she was just a light sleeper or if it was a sense developed by mothers, but the smallest rustling could wake her even when she was dead asleep. She kept still though and merely concentrated her ears on what was going on.
It was John. She heard him tell Gin that he wouldn't be coming with them after all.
Good riddance she thought, but he was a strong male and deep inside she knew it was a big loss for the group. She wondered how Ben would take it the next morning when they got up and John just wasn't there.
Suddenly John and Gin stopped talking and pretended, like she, to be asleep. Someone was approaching, she had heard it too.
It was the Leader.
Cross dared to open her eyes and saw him standing beside Gin, just staring at him.
He didn't stay long and he didn't talk to Gin, after a bit of time he looked briefly at the starlit sky before walking back to his cave probably. Cross' curiosity had been piqued and she considered waking Ben and telling him about it. If only she knew what it was she had just seen.
Gin had the same idea apparently and Cross stayed still while the puppy tried to rouse Ben from his sleep without success. He told Ben's sleeping form that he had to leave, but not to worry because he would come back.
Cross believed him. She figured he probably just wanted a last look at his owner and maybe to say goodbye to his mother.
Right then Cross made a promise to this dog she had never met that she would take good care of her son.
As soon as John and Gin took off Ben, Cross and almost the rest of the group sat up. None of them had been asleep for the past few minutes.
Ben looked at Gin's retreat with a worried glance and Cross, without thinking, demanded him to lie down again and assured him he would be back.
"Cross." Ben sighed, tired of her at least not making an effort to treat him like the platoon leader he was.
"He's gone to say goodbye to his master." Cross insisted and stood next to Ben to watch Gin. He had only just joined and already she was convinced of his bravery and loyalty.
"He makes you believe," she explained to Ben "even though he just stopped suckling."
Ben turned his head to look at Cross and was taken aback by her warm expression "Are you missing your puppies Cross? They would've been the same age."
"Ben!" Cross exclaimed and her mild appearance disappeared. He was the only one in the pack who knew about her puppies because he'd caught her that first night "You promised not to mention it!" she snarled and Ben immediately apologized.
Cross didn't dare to look at the dogs around her "Not once more, do you get it?"
"Help." Ben whimpered and pretended to be scared of her.
Behind them Smith laughed "That match you lost, Ben." and someone else warned him to behave or he wouldn't get any dinner.
Great nodded his head at Cross "No one catches birds as good as Cross."
She knew it was a kind gesture from him, but she didn't care, she kept her nose up, refusing to look at anyone.
But when Ben walked to her with his tail between his legs she joined in with everyone else's laughter and decided to forget the argument between them. Within her heart she knew she had been right to leave her puppies and join the pack. Akakabuto must be stopped.
The appearance of Gin, though he acted more mature than his age, had stirred something within her though and she couldn't bear the thought of letting him go. When everyone else settled back asleep, Cross walked to the outer most point and looked to the moon, sending Gin a thought as well as her own pups wherever they were now.
When she got tired of waiting she decided to sleep right there, so she'd hear as soon as Gin returned. But sleep still didn't claim her even though she tried lying on her side and then her stomach, nothing helped.
Suddenly she could feel the warmth of another body next to hers and she immediately relaxed when Ben was snoring lightly beside her.
"He'll come back." She whispered before drifting off.
The next morning neither Gin nor John had come back. It was against the pack's laws to leave, but it wasn't worth the time to hunt them down. They were leaving soon and were busy filling up on food and water so they would be ready to set off when the sun rose. Cross had a feeling Ben would be riding them hard from the start.
Everyone gathered with the Leader and Sniper one last time before leaving and just as he was about to send them off they heard Gin's barking in the distance and he came flying from the horizon.
Cross smiled at him and looked around to wordlessly tell everyone she had been right.
Gin glanced at the Leader and she thought she saw them make eye contact for a second before the Leader howled and they were off, heading south.
