Here is our next chapter, wherein Cadpig receives a blast from the past. How shall she respond?
And what about the people she and Lilly left behind?
IV. The Lovers. IV.
Garth and Tony sat on a hillside in the former Eastern Pack territory. The sun was beginning to set below the horizon and the whole of the valley was covered in an eerie orange twilight. But Tony could care less as he beamed proudly at the son of his own.
"Garth, I want you to know how proud I am of you," he said. "When I caught you howling with an Omega, I thought you were forgetting your place in the pack. But then you came through in the end, just like I raised you to do. Now I can rest easier knowing that you're truly ready to be a pack leader."
Garth tried to keep his father from seeing how much these words stung him. He had married Kate to make his father happy and because he thought it was his duty to the pack. Garth had believed that, even if he could not be with Lilly, he could still see her around rather frequently and that maybe that would make up in some way for what he had done to her. But now she was gone. Lilly had disappeared the night of their marriage and nobody knew where she was.
Garth felt terrible. While Winston and Eve expressed complete bewilderment at why she left, both Garth and Kate knew they had driven her away, just like they had driven away Humphrey. But Humphrey had at least a chance of surviving in the wider world – he was what the humans called "street-smart" and could adapt to any situation. But that was something which could not be said about naïve, sheltered Lilly. She would never be able to survive on her own; Garth was certain of it.
Later, as he returned to his den, he saw Kate, looking as sad and depressed as he did. They sat down across from each other, neither one speaking up. They just sat there in silence, as they had done the night of their marriage.
"We can't stay like this," one of them said at last. Whether it was Kate or Garth is of no consequence, for they themselves would not later be able to say. But at that moment, both were already agreed. This could not be their life.
"What do we do now?" Garth said. "We can't pretend to be happy after what we did to Lilly and Humphrey."
Kate shook her head. "No, we can't. And we can't pretend like we've done anything good for the pack. We did this for the good of the pack, but the more I look at it, the less good it seems."
"I know what you mean," Garth said. "We may have destroyed two lives all because of what some old custom told us to do. And we're going to have to live with that forever."
"I know," Kate said. "But we have to fix things. Somehow, we have to make everything right. We have to tell the world that we're in love with Omegas. We have to do this, no matter what. But first… we have to find them."
Both nodded in agreement. For the first time since they had met, they felt like they actually were of one heart on something. They had to do this, consequences or no.
"I'll find Humphrey," Kate said.
Garth's response came naturally, "And I'll find Lilly."
Pongo and Perdita stood together on a hill not far outside Dearly Farm as the twilight ended and darkness came on. Together, they waited. They waited silently, but with a shared understanding in their hearts that no words could possibly have made stronger.
Finally, after what seemed to be hours of waiting, a noise came from afar. It was something between a series of barks and a howl, seeming to combine elements of both. Pongo and Perdita listened intently. Was this the message they had been waiting for?
They listened for a moment. No. It was merely an advertisement for a new kind of chew-toy, the testimonial of a satisfied customer. The Dalmatians' ears and hearts dropped. It seemed as though they would be left in doubt and anxiety.
But then they heard it. Another series of barking howls, another rattle of the barking chain, this one conveying the message they had been waiting for. But this too would leave them in doubt and anxiety. For it told them what they dreaded to hear; no trace of Cadpig had yet been found anywhere in the state.
"Oh, Pongo, what do we do now?" Perdita asked in alarm.
Pongo sighed. "If nobody else can find her, we'll just have to find her ourselves. We've done it before, so we can do it again."
"At least it is only one pup this time," Perdita responded. "It should not be as hard as locating ninety-eight. Or it may be harder."
The two contemplated this in silence for a moment. They were resolute and did not doubt for a moment their mission, their duty as parents. But they could not help but be worried. And both knew that the other was worried. Perhaps it was this shared knowledge that gave them the strength they would now need.
Finally, Pongo's voice broke the gloom.
"Perdy, do you think she'll be alright?"
Perdita did not hesitate. She had somehow known her answer all along, long before the question had even been thought.
"There was a time, when she was young, that we did not think she could survive her first winter. But she did. And she's survived so many things after that, with odds that no pup should have survived. There was always something special about her, the type of thing only a mother can see. Maybe I should have told her that more so that she would not have felt so neglected. I don't know, I don't even know how I would have explained it. But there is one thing I do know. My daughter is a survivor, Pongo; I know that. She will survive."
Lilly walked somewhat behind her two companions as they passed through the streets of Nortonsburg. Up ahead, Cadpig and Walton were discoursing on various topics of mystical philosophy, using words which made Lilly's head spin. So she had contented herself with falling back and half-listened to them while looking in awe at all the strange new sights that presented themselves to her.
"Of course, we all reincarnate," Cadpig said. "We've all been here probably hundreds and thousands of times before. And we'll keep reincarnating until we fulfill our purpose in this world."
"I'm know souls reincarnate," Walton responded. "But what I'm saying is, it's like we're all spinning in a giant… a giant… washing machine!"
"A giant washing machine?" Cadpig exclaimed in confusion.
"Actually, it's more like two washing machines spinning around each other forever and ever!" Walton explained, getting increasingly excited as he did so.
Cadpig considered this. "Hmm, interesting idea."
Walton was really revved up now. "Yeah, and everybody, it's like they're all influenced by the moon, like the moon influences the tides and causes the water to spin like… like… water in a washing machine!"
"I don't mean to criticize," Cadpig said in that unique way of hers in which she begins gently but ends forcefully, "but if you're going to be a great poet, you've got to come up with some better metaphysical metaphors than giant spinning washing machines."
"Hey, did I criticize that 'cosmic surfboard' metaphor you used before?"
"Well, in fact, you did!"
"But that was only because – hey, what were we doing again?"
Cadpig rolled her eyes. Walton had had three such outbursts of forgetfulness in the time it took them to walk to where he was taking them. "You were taking us to the local canine club," she said.
"Oh, right," Walton said. "The canine club, I know where that is! Follow me!"
Cadpig let Walton stride forward and fell back to walk with Lilly. "How you holding up back here?" she asked.
"There's so much to see," Lilly said, her lavender eyes filled with wonder. "You lived in a place like this?"
"Yeah, once," Cadpig answered. "But that was a long time ago."
"That must have been amazing," Lilly responded as her head rapidly swayed and swerved, trying to take in every single sight.
Cadpig smiled wistfully, remembering her early puppyhood in Topstown. "Actually, you kinda get used to it over time. But now that you mention it, it all was kinda amazing."
Cadpig watched happily as Lilly's eyes and head danced and darted around like those of a small child. She was glad that Lilly was finally enjoying herself.
But both were soon brought out of this state when Walton theatrically bellowed, "We have arrived!"
The club, dubbed The Bohemian Bloodhound, was just a small place at the end of a narrow alleyway wherein several old chairs and a bar-area had been set up. But the surrounding buildings were all so tall that it was shielded near-completely from the sun and, as a result, looked dark and cool. Walton entered proudly while the two females stood cautiously at the entrance.
"This looks like the type of place my mother wouldn't approve of," Lilly said as she looked around.
"Come on, Lilly," Cadpig responded. "You won't know what you're missing until you dive in with all four feet! And besides, you don't live with your mother anymore, do you?"
A broken, awkward smile appeared on Lilly's face. "I guess… you're right. Okay, let's go, then!"
Both of them quickly followed Walton as he made his way through the club.
A stocky bulldog took note of his entrance and called out, "Morning, Mr. Yards! What can I do you for?"
With an overly-dramatic sweep of his paw, Walton answered, "Your finest water on the rocks, my good sir! And I mean the real stuff, the water that comes from the busted pipeline in the rich neighborhood. Two for my lady-friends as well."
"Yessir," said the bulldog as began to prepare the glasses.
Walton moved with the two white canines toward the end of the club, wherein a Jack Russell Terrier sat flipping through a book on Frisbees and drinking from a shot-glass.
"Morning, Russell," Walton said as he sat down in the old, beat-up chair opposite.
Cadpig and Lilly hesitantly took seats on either side of the duo.
"Why, Walton, you dog!" Russell responded as he looked up. "Here I'm worried that you're still out-of-sorts over Maud, and you come swaggering in here with two pretty girls practically hanging off your arm! I don't know how you do it!"
"Well, nobody's hanging off of anybody's arm," Cadpig remarked, clearly offended by the suggestion.
"Quite, quite," Walton said, apparently only half aware of this brewing disagreement. "Russell, you haven't met my friends, have you? Well, you couldn't have. I just met them myself. This is Cadpig."
Russell took Cadpig's paw and kissed it, making up for his original wrongdoing. "A pleasure, dear lady."
"Charmed, I'm sure," Cadpig responded.
Now Walton gestured toward the white wolf. "And this is Lollie."
Lilly grimaced at Cadpig as she heard her name misgiven. But she was too shy to say anything. Cadpig knew she would have to help her.
"Actually, it's Lilly," Cadpig said. "This is Lilly."
Russell took Lilly's paw and kissed it. "And a pleasure to meet you as well, my sweet."
Lilly giggled in response.
Introductions now aside, Walton got down to what was really on his mind. "So, where is Maud today, anyway?"
Russell let out a whimpering, whining noise as he processed the question. "And here I thought you were over her! Look at you, Walton, a lovely lady on either side of you and all you can think about is where Maud is. Who cares where Maud is? Maud isn't anywhere, as far as I'm concerned! Just let her go!"
"I thought I heard my name being called!" came a sharp, feminine voice behind them.
Russell buried his snout in his paws. Walton's face lit up more than either Cadpig or Lilly had thought possible in their short acquaintance with him. Now upon them was a gorgeous red-and-white Irish setter with beaming green eyes.
"Maud!" Walton practically shouted in joy. "How nice it is to see you! What have you been up to?"
Maud smiled deviously. "Just wait five seconds and you'll find out!"
And, five seconds later, the noise of an explosion rocked the club. And then they heard a man scream, "My truck!"
"That should teach the local dog-catcher not to impound my friends!" Maud proclaimed triumphantly.
Walton laughed in a far-away manner, as though he had no clue what was being said. "Ah, Maud, you and your little tricks!"
"We should see if anybody's hurt," Lilly said quietly to Cadpig.
Cadpig nodded and looked around for a way to excuse themselves. But then she noticed a fire-truck hurrying past the alleyway and realized everything would be fine.
Maud now had something else to say. "By the way, Walton, I'm having a little get-together later with some close friends. It's nothing really; we'll probably just break in a few windows, cripple a few cats, and maybe burn down the pound again. So, it's one of our usual get-togethers, but I'd love it if you could make it!"
Walton kept his dreamy far-away look. "I wouldn't miss it for the world," he said, though his tone of voice was such that it suggested he had no idea what had just been said.
"Good! See you there!" Maud said. And then she sauntered off toward the bar. The bulldog, upon seeing her coming, quickly hid as many of the glasses and bottles as he could. He even seemed to shiver a little.
"Well," Cadpig said, "it looks like somebody needs to work on restraining their violent tendencies!"
Walton now rested his chin upon his paw and gazed at Maud. "I know. She's just great, isn't she?"
"If by great, you mean possibly unhinged, I can see why you'd say that," Cadpig responded.
"He always gets like this," Russell said with a gruff shake of his head, "whenever she's around. She comes through the door and there's no talking to him. It's like he's off in fairyland or something."
"That's what happens when you're in love," Cadpig said. She heard Lilly deliver a barely audible 'hmph' when she said it.
"I suppose you're right, missy," Russell responded. "But you sound as though you talk from experience. You got anyone in your heart?"
Cadpig thought about this. She remembered a dog from her puppyhood, someone she had loved once but who had ended up breaking her heart. Yes, she knew how Walton felt. She pictured in her mind a Westie pup, extremely tall for his breed and probably containing the blood of a bigger dog somewhere in his line, with a bandana around his neck and a goofy smile on his face. She thought back to Jake.
And then, as far as she could tell, her vision materialized at the bar before her. For standing at the end, not far from where Maud was fighting the bulldog for a clear bottle, stood Jake. He was now taller, about as taller as her (and thus unbelievably tall for a Westie). He did not wear the bandana around his neck, but otherwise he looked exactly the same.
It was him. But how could it be him? Was Cadpig imagining things? She had not seen him in months – it felt like years, but it had only been months. And now, there he was.
"Excuse me for a sec," Cadpig said absently as she got up and began to approach Jake.
"But you haven't answered my question!" Russell exclaimed, to no avail. So then he turned to Lilly, who almost began shivering as she realized she would have to hold her own in a conversation with a complete stranger.
"And what about you, pet?" said he. "You got a special someone out there?"
Lilly let out a small noise and then quickly tried to force herself to say something more substantial. "Yeah… I-I do… I mean, no… I-I do-don't… I mean… I had one once but he… he… he dumped me for my sis-sister."
Lilly smiled in embarrassment, but also with a certain pride that she had gotten a full sentence out of her mouth.
"Now who would ditch a pretty thing like you for someone else?" Russell said. Then, a rather disconcerting grin appeared on his face. "Unless you're twins, that is…."
Lilly swiftly shook her head. "No, we're not twins; she's an Alpha."
"A what?"
Lilly kicked herself for having forgotten that she was not supposed to be a wolf. And from what she could tell, dogs did not have the same concept of Alphas and Omegas as wolves did. She tried to think of something to save herself.
"No, er, I mean… she's… we don't look anything alike… She's blonde, kinda." Lilly now looked to the floor, thoroughly ashamed of what she had come up with this time.
"Oh, a blonde, eh?" he said. "Ain't that always the way, though? But I tell you what, if this fella of yours was here right now, I'd bash his teeth in for leaving such a beautiful creature as yourself."
Lilly giggled in spite of herself. Trying to imagine the little terrier going up against Garth was too hilarious of a mental picture not to warrant such a response.
Meanwhile, Cadpig approached Jake. He was calmly looking off into the distance as he sipped ice-water from a glass. He did not even notice her coming until she was right on top of him. And when he saw her, he spilled the water all over himself.
"C-Cadpig!" he exclaimed.
"Hello, Jake, long time no see," Cadpig said, not bothering to hide the distain in her voice.
"C-C-Cadpig!" he said again, clearly not being able to fathom her sudden appearance.
"Yes, Jake, it's me," Cadpig answered, with a roll of her eyes.
"Cadpig!"
"Snap out of it, would you!" Cadpig barked. "Yes, it's me! Now accept it and move on!"
Jake was still shaken, but he was not going to disobey this command. "You look… you look good. How ya been?"
"Fine," Cadpig said. "Just fine."
"What… what are you doing here? I mean… it's great… it's great to see you, Caddy, but what are you doing… this far west?"
"Oh, I was just touring California with my friend."
"Friend? What friend?"
At this point, Lilly arrived beside them, having gotten away from Russell as quickly as she could. She was blushing so badly that it was visible through her white fur and now her face was lit up a bright shade of red.
"What… a… creep! What a… dirty creep!" she said shakily, using harsher words than Cadpig thought possible of her. "That guy is… he's disgusting. Do you know what he said to me?"
"Later, Lilly, later," Cadpig said. "Right now, there's someone I want you to meet. Lilly, this is Jake, my ex-boyfriend. Jake, this is Lilly. Lilly is a Samoy–"
"A wolf!" Jake exclaimed in alarm.
Cadpig quickly shushed him. But nobody heard, because at that moment Maud, after winning control of the bottle, smashed it against the opposite wall. Just for fun.
Jake was quieter now, but no less alarmed. "Cadpig, that's a wolf! Your so-called friend is a wolf!"
"But I'm not… a bad wolf," Lilly said innocently.
She gently grabbed his paw and shook it a little. From what Lilly had gathered, this was the customary greeting among dogs. She felt shy about it, but she so wanted to fit in.
And then Jake knocked her paw away and pulled back to his chest.
"Don't touch me!" he commanded.
Lilly swiftly withdrew her limb and began to look small. In fact, she almost seemed on the verge of tears. Cadpig put her foreleg around her and hugged her, all the while glaring menacingly at Jake.
"There, there," Cadpig said. "He didn't mean it. He just has a natural talent for being uncouth and boorish."
Jake seemed touched by this white creature's sadness, even if she was a wolf. He put his paw on Lilly's arm. "Yeah, she's right. I didn't mean it. I just get jumpy around things that could potentially eat me. It's a character-flaw. It has nothing to do with you."
Lilly picked her head up. "You… you mean it?"
Jake smiled wearily. "Of course I do. Any friend of Cadpig's is, well…. So you're a wolf, huh? That's really something. Yep, that's definitely some sort of thing."
"Lilly is from Alberta," Cadpig said, hoping to change the subject to something more genial.
"Ah," Jake said, seeming to become more, rather than less, agitated at this remark. "Cadpig, can I talk to you alone for a second. Preferably alone? As in, just me and you? Alone, like?"
"Anything you have to say to me can be said in front of Lilly," Cadpig responded.
"No, this really can't be said except between us," Jake answered. And he pleaded with his eyes, those large brown eyes that Cadpig had once loved.
Cadpig sighed. Somehow, after so long, she still could not resist that look. "I'll be right back, Lilly," she said.
Jake and Cadpig walked a few feet away.
"What are you doing with someone like that?" Jake scolded.
"I can be friends with whomever I choose," Cadpig shot back.
Jake shook his head. "I know, but with one of them?"
"She happens to be a very nice person. You shouldn't judge based on what species she is. That's specieism."
"I am not a specieist! I just don't trust her kind."
"There you go, always judging people. Maybe if you tried to get to know her, you'd like her. But then you always did like the girls just a teensy bit too much, didn't you?"
Jake was becoming exasperated. "Cadpig, you're not listening to me. She's a vicious, deadly creature that could kill you in an instant and will if she ever gets hungry. Cadpig, don't you understand? She's a Canadian!"
Cadpig huffed. "You know, why don't you–"
But before she could finish that thought, she saw Russell saying something to Lilly. If she was mad before, Cadpig was furious now.
She stormed toward them. "Hey, no means no, buddy!" she barked. And then she delivered a powerful uppercut which sent Russell to the floor.
"No, Cadpig, no!" Lilly said, trying to restrain her.
"I like this girl," Maud said from around the bar-corner.
"Cadpig, he was apologizing!" Lilly said, almost pleading. "Please don't hurt him!"
Cadpig began to calm down. She smiled bashfully. "Oh, oops. Sorry, Russell. I didn't know you had a sense of decency."
"It's okay," Russell said from the floor. "Most people don't."
This ruckus had been enough to finally break Walton out of his Maud-obsessed stupor. Arriving as Cadpig and Lilly helped Russell up, he tried to piece things together.
"Cadpig, Russell, Lollie, what happened?" he asked with concern.
"The discussion got a bit animated, is all," Russell said as he regained his footing.
Then Walton looked behind them to see Jake sulking there. The look in his eyes seemed to suggest that he had come to his own conclusions about who had caused the problem.
"Oh, hello, Jake," he said contemptuously.
"Hello, Walton," Jake responded with equal contempt.
"You two have history, I take it," Cadpig interjected.
"Oh yes, we have a history," Walton said.
"If only you could remember it," Jake retorted.
"If only I remembered – what?" Walton responded, having forgotten already what was being referred to.
Jake let out an annoyed hiss and then said, "You know what, this club has suddenly gotten awfully crowded. Come on, Cadpig, let's go to some place more hospitable."
Jake began to move, expecting Cadpig to follow him. But she stayed where she was. "Actually, I think I'll stay here. I kinda like it."
Jake looked deep into her azure eyes and, through them, into her soul. She could see easily that he was heartbroken by the response. Cadpig still remained firm but perhaps her eye softened for a single second or two, and perhaps Jake saw it. Yet, Jake realized that she meant what she said and he could not change her mind. Looking like a defeated dog, Jake trudged away toward the club entrance where, by happenstance, Maud was fluttering out as well.
"Good riddance to bad rubbish," Walton remarked as he turned his back on him.
But Cadpig continued to stare at Jake as he left. And Lilly stared at her.
"I know that look," Lilly said quietly so that only she and Cadpig would hear. "That's how I looked at Garth just after he married Kate."
Can lost love be found again?
Read on.