"Alright, alright already!" Exile growled, snatching the peeler and a knife from a kitchen drawer.
The husky muttered to himself as he peeled and sliced a dozen large potatoes. He was intensely aggravated with Shag ordering him about the kitchen as they began preparations for Easter dinner. Usually dinner would be served at 5 o'clock and it was almost 1:30. When asked why they had to start three and a half hours early, Shag said that it was better to get things done with a more vast amount of time; plus they would have two or three breaks considering that the dishes would take only an hour to cook. Exile was still unhappy though. He did not like being the sheepdog's assistant.
By the time Exile had peeled and sliced the last potato, he was ready to have a break; but Shag ordered him to dump a specific amount of potatoes into the baking dish as he added the other ingredients. After that, he was to hide the Easter eggs for Hunter, Colleen, and Blitz; then they would have a short break. Exile grumbled but complied.
Once the scalloped potatoes were in the oven, Exile went to the fridge and withdrew the carton containing the Easter eggs. He opened the cartoon to marvel at the artwork its seekers gave them. Blitz's eggs were black, red, and yellow. Colleen's eggs were painted in the flags that made up the Union Jack: the flag of England, the flag of Scotland, and Saint Patrick's Saltire. Hunter's eggs were the most interesting; one looked like the flag of Austria, another had the red and white stripes reversed, and the other looked like the flag of Texas. Very nice, Exile thought as he closed the carton.
Exile entered the den to announce that the egg hunt would start soon. The instant he opened his mouth, Hunter burped the words: "Hi, Exile."
Colleen and Blitz's heads snapped at Hunter. They were not amused by his ill-mannered attempt to make everyone laugh. Exile was exceedingly annoyed because his mouth was open and he had to taste Hunter's breath, a mixture of the scents of sausage and cheese.
"Gee, thanks for the treat, Hunter," the husky coughed. "I really appreciate it."
"Hey, be thankful I didn't try it from the other end," Hunter replied.
"We always are," Exile, Colleen, and Blitz stated all at once.
Hunter didn't say anything after that. His comedy was getting him the exact opposite of what he hoped for.
"Anyways," said Exile; "the time to hunt for Easter eggs is coming soon. I'll be outside hiding the eggs. Until I come back, stay away from the windows so you don't cheat. The first rover to return with all four eggs will win the bacon bunny."
Three pairs of canine eyes lit up at the mention of the bacon bunny, a homemade bacon-flavored dog biscuit sculpted into the shape of a rabbit. If he sent the idea to any dog treat manufacturer in the world and they would accept it, this scrumptious creation of Shag's would be dubbed the "animal safe equivalent of a chocolate bunny".
"You know, I can proudly admit this," Colleen said. "All this excitement about searching for eggs to win a tasty prize makes me feel like a pup again."
"What do you mean?" Blitz inquired.
Colleen's smile faded before she answered with: "Well, it's like this: I grew up on the streets, and being the oldest of three, it was my duty to help mum and dad keep all five of us fed."
"Aw, Colleen, that's so terrible," said Hunter. "I can't imagine going through that type of lifestyle."
"It was rough," Colleen replied; "but we survived and stayed together; up until the dog catcher caught my family and shipped 'em to the pound."
There was a moment of silence. Hunter, Blitz, and Exile had their fair share of dreadful life experiences, but the story Colleen told about her life before becoming a cano-sapien topped them all.
The collie saw the faces of her companions and told them: "Don't feel too bad about me. I was scared from time to time but I managed to keep my spirits up. Now, let's now let sadness get the better of us. It's Easter for goodness sake; let's begin the egg hunt!"
Hunter and Blitz immediately psyched themselves up.
"Well, first, I must hide the eggs," Exile stated. "Remember that once I come back, the hunt officially begins, and no peeking."
Hunter, Colleen, and Blitz promised to stay on the couch until he returned.
Before Exile could leave, Blitz suddenly stood up. "Hold it, Exile," he said.
The husky stopped and the Doberman whispered something into his ear. When Exile nodded and exited the house through the sliding door, Blitz grinned and walked away, snickering to himself.
Hunter and Colleen watched Blitz stroll down the hallway slightly puzzled. What did he just say to Exile, and why did he have a diabolical grin after talking to him? Hunter soon shook it off; Colleen however was still troubled by Blitz.
"What do you think he told Exile?" the collie asked the Golden Retriever.
"I don't know," Hunter responded, eyes glued to the TV. "Whatever it is, must be big."
The fact that Hunter didn't even look at her and his voice lacked any hint of concern troubled Colleen even more. She was already fed up with his odd behavior, but now it was taking a strange turn. Were Hunter and Blitz about to take their disagreement (whatever the heck it was) to a higher level? More importantly, what caused them to grow severe bitterness towards each other? Sure, Hunter could be cocky and it would usually cause one of them to get annoyed with him, but there was no way one simple misunderstanding could lead him and another Rover into war; so why was it happening?
Colleen racked her brain out trying to figure it out. She didn't snap back to reality until Shag began howling and snarling in the kitchen. It wasn't until a loud clattering noise filled the house that she rushed to the kitchen to investigate. Hunter followed, fearing Shag had hurt himself out of anger.
"Shag, what happened?!" Hunter cried.
Shag barked his response as he hastily gathered the pots and pans off the floor.
Colleen ambled over to help the sheepdog and she told him: "Shag, I'm sure Exile is taking his time in finding good hiding spots for our eggs. He should be back soon; no need to lose your marbles."
Shag muttered something while noisily refilling the cupboard of its pots and pans.
"Hey, don't think we can't hear you!" Hunter barked.
There came a deep growl from the sheepdog before he sat at the table to calm down. Hunter and Colleen left him alone and went back to the couch, keeping their heads down in an attempt not to glance out the glass pane of the sliding door.
"Now I'm really starting to worry," Colleen whisper.
"Why?" Hunter inquired.
"First you and Blitzen, now Shag," Colleen said. "I don't understand why everyone's getting so angry over nothing."
"Well, that's something not to get scared about," Hunter replied. "Try your best to ignore it. That's what I'd do."
"Yeah; still though, why did you two start a fight this morning? Why have you both been so virulent to begin with?"
"Colleen, it's none of your business."
"It is too! You both could've gotten hurt!"
For a brief moment, Hunter looked as if he was ready to snap at Colleen. After taking a deep breath, he simply told his fellow cano-sapien: "Look, I know that I was wrong to beat Blitz up, and I'm sorry you had to get involved. Trust me when I say that I will do everything in my power to make sure it never happens again. You got nothing to worry about."
"Right," Colleen sighed. "I've heard that one before."
Not long after the show they were watching ended, Blitz returned carrying three small wicker baskets. He also had the same wicked grin on his face. The sight alone compelled Colleen to ask the Doberman why he was smiling. His response was: "I'm very excited to start the egg hunt, I'm bound to win! You will be very impressed, my dear Easter bunny."
Colleen facepalmed and sighed deeply. She didn't make a silly retort as she usually did- she was just done.
"Now, Blitz, Colleen doesn't want to hear any more bragging and stuff like that," Hunter said to the Doberman. "She's still mad about the fight we had."
"Oh, I'm sorry, Colleen," Blitz sincerely told the collie. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."
Colleen heaved another sigh. "I know neither of you do it intentionally," she said; "but this bloomin' war of yours needs to stop. It's ridiculous."
"No need to fear," Blitz stated confidently. "I'm sure that Hunter and I will make up after the egg hunt."
"What does that mean?" Hunter asked, a tiny bit suspicious.
Blitz chuckled. "A wonderful surprise will knock the anger right out of us. That's why I made arrangements with Exile to have it all set up."
"Why that's awfully nice of you to try and end your feud with Hunter," Colleen said to Blitz. "I really hope this surprise you have planned will make this the best Easter we ever had."
"Oh ho, you bet!" Blitz replied exuberantly.
Before they knew it, the sliding door slid open and Exile stepped in. "Righty-o, comrades," he announced. "All of the eggs I have hidden. I made sure to stay away from the forest and to place each egg in a place you're sure to find them. Remember, the first player to find all four eggs and return wins the bacon bunny!"
Hunter, Colleen, and Blitz howled in excitement.
"Say, Exile," Hunter said; "I've been thinking. How about you join us in the hunt; you can hunt the red and gold eggs."
"I'm flattered by the offer, Hunter," Exile acknowledged; "but I'm a little tired from all the walking I did. I think I'll stay here and-"
Exile was interrupted by Shag grabbing him by the back of his shirt and dragging him straight to the kitchen. The husky resisted and yelled, "Shag, enough of this! I deserve some rest!"
Shag snarled at him.
"It was you who woke me up while the sun was not yet risen!" Exile barked. "I didn't even want to help you cook! I just agreed so I would not have to hear anyone ramble about the importance of helping others even when their arms and legs are fully function!"
Shag then asked the husky a question. Said question caused Exile's eyes to expand to immense proportions. He even started to blush.
"I never knew why but I find it so addictive," the husky stated.
Shag said something else before escorting Exile to the kitchen.
Hunter, Colleen, and Blitz seized their egg baskets and marched to the sliding down. "Alright, rovers!" he said. "Let the hunt begin!"
The trio howled once more and dashed out the sliding door, down the steps of back porch, and into the field.
Exile and Shag watched them spill out before resumed cooking dinner. As they did though, Exile felt a pinch of worry as he cut open the bag of baby carrots.
I have no clue why Blitz asked for all of Hunter's eggs to be in the same place, Exile thought; but it's safe to assume that he wanted to make the hunt a challenge for Hunter. Pretty clever if I say so myself.
