Hector opened his eyes. He was still in the barn, but was in a different nest. It was still night, and it was silent. There were no other dogs in the barn.
He hurried outside, to the dirt-place, and still saw no one. However, when he padded over to the porch, he spotted Deputy, Ranger, and Tracker quietly stepping out of the flap of the front door. Their eyes narrowed and they nodded to each other as if in agreement.
"What's happening Coach Deputy?", Hector asked. "Where is everybody this late at night?"
None of the three coaching dogs responded to Hector's question. They just hurried off down the hill and towards the horse-place.
"What is going on?", Hector asked, half to himself.
"A sacred ceremony," a half-amused voice suddenly answered behind him.
Hector spun around to see a male dog. Hector gasped. He resembled the dark brown and white male dog he had seen before in the previous dream about Maximus and Daisy, but he was not tinted with a bright blue.
"You coming?", the male dog asked. "We would like you to see this."
"See what?", Hector responded. He briefly turned his head around and back to the dog. "Are you talking to me?"
The male dog chuckled. "Come along, young one," he gestured with his tail for Hector to follow. Hector followed, keeping up with the male dog's pace.
They arrived at the horse-place, and Hector looked around in amazement, seeing that every animal on the farm was there in a giant but quiet crowd. Even the rescued dogs were among them. There were no humans in sight.
Carefully making their way together through the maze of animals, Hector spotted Maximus, Daisy, Mary, and Ethan on top of the hill in the paddock, with several tiny puppies, that looked and sounded newborn.
"Are those newborn pups?" Hector asked the male dog.
"Yes," the male dog chuckled in response. "This is indeed a special night."
Several long moments of silence went by. Hector soon felt the cool breeze pick up more, and saw several leaves and debris being carried by the wind.
Suddenly, in response, Maximus and Daisy started to howl from on top of the hill. Ethan and Mary joined in. A few moments later, all the other dogs also howled with them.
When all the howling stopped shortly after, all the animals began to pad away together.
Hector stayed with the male dog as they went with the other animals. Hector almost hesitated when he realized all the animals were entering the woods. "Where are we going?", Hector asked the male dog.
"The sacred cave of murals," the male dog answered.
"Cave?", Hector responded. "You mean...the one within the big waterfall?"
"Yes," the male dog chuckled.
"Were you that presence I sensed in there?", Hector prompted. Hector recalled that eerie feeling that he had in the cave that he was not alone.
"Presence?"
"Yes."
"I do not know what you are referring to, young one," the male dog responded uneasily, as if he did not know what to say.
Hector felt as if he would never truly know who it was he sensed in that cave. He was starting to feel that he had not really sensed anyone at all, other than Chloe. It was all his imagination playing tricks on him.
As the group of animals were hiking through the long woods, Hector realized that while they were all talking to each other, they never acknowledged him or the male dog. "No one is speaking to us," Hector stated.
"No, they are not," the male dog responded.
"Why aren't they?", Hector prompted.
The male dog sighed and was silent for a few moments, as if he had not wanted to answer the question.
Hector decided not to protest, but then the male dog spoke again. "We are both in an astral plane."
"What?", Hector asked, his ears perked. "What does that mean?"
"The other animals are not conscious of us."
"Not conscious? You mean they cannot sense our presence?"
"That's right."
"But, how can you...why can I...", Hector stammered, confused.
"You are a precocious astral projector, young one," the male dog responded.
"A what?"
"I am not for sure how well you understand it, but you have travelled from earth to heavenly paradise, and back."
"Where? Are you talking about the beautiful meadow?"
"You have already experienced different planes of existence at such a young age."
"You mean like those good and bad dreams I am always having?"
"If anyone on earth will figure out how to travel through time, it will be you."
"Time-travel?", Hector thought. "That is what my prophecy is all about, isn't it?", Hector asked the male dog, with uncertainty.
The male dog sighed again. "We ancestors will watch over you very closely throughout your entire life. We will help to protect you. But one day your soul will have to leave your physical body forever, and spend eternity with us."
Several long moments of silence between the two dogs went by. Hector felt a little uncomfortable with those words. He has always known there is no escaping death. He knew that the ancestors gave him one chance, that day in the woods, when he had made a stupid mistake that nearly took his life. He knew it must have angered the ancestors. If he were an ordinary dog, one that had not been given an important prophecy by the ancestors, perhaps he might not have been given that second chance. He remembered when he was told that animals closest to their ancestors will live the longest and most successful lives of all, as a gift for their strong faith.
"You are the same dog I saw in a previous dream!", Hector exclaimed, speaking again. "You were making Maximus and Daisy the new leaders."
"Really?", the male dog responded, sounding as if he had not known.
"All packs have alphas, don't they?", Hector asked.
"There are very few packs like the pack here on this very old farm. This farm has been around for generations, and very many animals live together here."
"Most dogs do not live this type of life, do they?"
"No. Most dogs live their life with a human family."
"A human family?"
"Yes. There are only a few dogs in the world that live their life like the ones here do. The dogs here are much, much closer to their ancestors and the other animals than they are with the humans they have to live with."
"But dogs in a human family are much more loyal to their humans than the ones here."
"Yes."
"And we are obviously only talking about 'will' animals."
"Yes. Absolutely. Instinct animals do not have faith or loyalty."
Hector nodded.
"Our kind are almost never instinct dogs, though," the male dog explained. "Our kind have a very particularly positive natural temperament."
Hector nodded again.
The giant pack of animals traveled for quite a while, climbing over rocks and crossing small streams. Hector could tell that they wanted to be sure that they were all back by sunrise. He had no idea what would happen if the humans woke up and found all the animals on the farm gone.
After what felt like forever, the pack reached a familiar place to Hector. Hector recognized it from his adventure with Chloe. They reached the giant place where all around were gray shapes sticking out of the ground, each of them reading as "in memory of".
Hector sniffed around and also recognized the unsettling odor of the place. "What is this type of place?", Hector asked the male dog. "It reeks. It's creepy."
"It's where the ones who have passed are buried," the male dog responded, with disapproval in his eyes as he briefly looked towards Hector.
"Oh," Hector responded, partially embarrassed. He found it uncomfortable knowing that he was walking on top of deceased bodies. "Sorry. Don't mind the smell at all," he quickly finished.
When the pack finally reached the cave, Hector was pleased to see the beautiful place again, and heard the waterfall roaring nearby.
Maximus, Daisy, Mary, Ethan, Deputy, Ranger, and Tracker were in front of the rest of the pack with the newborn puppies, and stood in front of the big hole falling to the underground entrance into the cave. Deputy ordered all of the other animals to stay where they were, as the seven dogs and the newborn puppies were slowly taken inside the cave.
The breeze, which had been somewhat heavy throughout the entire hike, picked up even faster, with the debris and leaves among it, knocking Hector off his paws.
The male dog gestured Hector with his tail to follow him, and Hector obeyed. They both followed the dogs into the cave. They all walked through the dark tunnel, and into the giant cave with the collection of colorful murals on the walls. The two dams settled with the puppies in a comfortable spot in the cave.
The breeze continued into the cave, and Hector gaped his mouth open in amazement as the debris and leaves particularly circled around the male dog he had been talking to. The debris was also circling rapidly above, towards the top of the steps leading to the fort. The nearby dogs looked towards the male dog, and as Hector watched in shock, the bright elegant bluish glow covered him completely up. Hector realized that now the other dogs could see the ancestor dog, and that the bluish glow makes spirits visible to the living. Hector knew that they could not see him, though, because the glow was not forming around him.
"Greetings," Maximus greeted the now starry ancestor male dog. "Wonderful to see you again."
The dogs looked up towards the top of the cave, and as Hector also looked, his eyes widened bigger and his mouth gaped even more open when he spotted several other starry bright blue dogs gliding down carefully to the bottom of the cave.
Hector recognized one of them. It resembled the same dog that had told him his prophecy. When Hector stared at him for a few moments, he turned toward him, took notice, and as he smiled and dipped his head in greeting to Hector, Hector realized that all of the other starry ancestor dogs could see him too.
"New generations have been born," the dark brown and white starry dog announced. "We, the ancestors of our great descendants, shall bless each of these new offspring with the Sacred Touch."
"Our ancestors will give our offspring the Sacred Touch," the living dogs responded respectfully together.
"So that we ancestors will watch over and protect these new offspring," another starry dog added.
"Our ancestors will help guide our offspring," the living dogs responded.
"The Sacred Touch will offer each offspring the gift of a very long and successful life," another starry dog added.
"Our ancestors want to give our offspring a long life," the living dogs responded.
"But they must promise to always respect and to believe in their ancestors..." another starry dog added.
"Our offspring must have strong faith in our ancestors," the living dogs responded.
"In order to be given our precious gift," another starry dog added.
"The Sacred Touch is an offer. Our offspring must keep a strong oath. Their faith will be rewarded," the living dogs responded.
Each newborn pup one by one was touched gently with one paw by each starry dog, leaving a blue lighted paw-print on them, and each starry dog quoted something special to each one. When they got to the last pup, Hector realized with shock that it was him!
The male starry dog Hector was talking to touched newborn Hector first. As the male dog spoke, he kept his paw on newborn Hector. "I bless this pup with the Sacred Touch. I see extraordinary accomplishments in his future. I see him becoming something no other canine has become before. May he be ambitious, and be proud of what he will become." The male starry dog took his paw off newborn Hector, and let the next starry dog do the same.
"I bless this pup with the Sacred Touch. May he be many things when he grows up. May he change the world," the next starry dog stated. Then she let the next starry dog go.
The next stated, "I bless this pup with the Sacred Touch. May he be guided by empathy. May he know what is right and what is wrong. May he help others in need."
The next stated, "I bless this pup with the Sacred Touch. May he chase intellectual ambitions. May he become a genius."
After the rest of the starry dogs finished, Deputy got up and ran outside the cave through the tunnel. He quickly came back with the rest of the farm animals, walking in a line. One by one, each animal gave a prayer and statement of approval to the newborn pups, Deputy, Ranger, and Tracker taking their turn last.
After that, the animals all gathered in a seminar around the cave, the starry ancestor dogs and two dams and two sires in the middle. The proud starry dogs addressed several of the animals particularly, acknowledging accomplishments they have performed recently.
"Our blessed pups shall now mark their paws on the walls," a starry dog announced. "So that no matter what happens, no matter where they may go, they will always be a full member of this pack, and will always have close connection with us, their great ancestors."
The male dark brown and white starry dog picked up newborn Hector in his jaws, and as Hector watched in amazement, the starry dog carried newborn Hector as he flew up higher to reach a certain spot on the cave wall. When they reached a spot, he kept newborn Hector in his jaws, and held his tiny paws briefly, then released, and then placed his tiny paws on the wall, and held them there for a moment. When the paws were pulled away, a red-colored set up of paw-prints were left on the wall, and then the starry dog sprinkled what resembled blue sparkles and dust over the paw-prints. Hector was thinking that that was somehow a way to represent that those paw-prints were his own. There was actually a lot of open untouched space around where the paw-prints were placed. Hector was thinking that if the ancestors were predicting so many events happening in his future, that they would start to be drawn surrounding his paw-prints. After, the starry dog carefully flew back down to the ground, and placed newborn Hector gently back onto the ground.
Hector also found it suspicious that his paw-prints were marked with the color red. Not all the newborn pups were given the same color for their paw-prints. It was a little bit eerie to think about.
After all the newborn pups' paw-prints were placed on the cave wall among the other murals, the starry ancestor dogs said goodbye to all the animals, as they exited out of the cave through the dark tunnel. Maximus, Daisy, Ethan, and Mary stayed behind to have a private talk with the ancestors. Deputy, Ranger, Tracker, Champ, Starlight, and Rainstorm were ordered to wait until they were done to take them back to the farm.
Since Hector was still sitting right next to the starry dogs and remaining dogs, he listened to their conversation. The dark brown and white male starry dog spoke first. "Mary, Ethan, we do have to mention that we are disappointed of you rejecting your son," he said. "You two were violating your honor."
"The pup was born defective," Mary responded. "It was nearly a stillborn."
Hector's face made a shocked and fearful expression at those words. "Stillborn?", he thought.
"We all know how weak this pup is," Ethan added. "How could it possibly survive?"
"It smells as if it has some type of disorder," Mary added. "And it's much too malnourished."
"Face it. Pups born like this never survive," Ethan added. "Remember that this has happened before. But extremely rarely. And not with a pup this small in size."
"If a pup born much bigger than this runt has suffered the same way," Mary added, "and died, how could this tiny pup possibly survive?"
"We do not need a defective dog in our pack," Ethan added, in a more angered tone, "giving birth to more pups that will suffer the same things."
"One sniff after I whelped him," Mary added, in a more angered tone as well, "and that was all I needed to assume it just was not worth keeping alive."
"A pup like that should die," Ethan continued. "The farm can do without it."
"He would only produce more pups like that," Mary continued.
"If I was leader," Ethan continued, more furiously, at Maximus, "I would just throw this worthless piece of dung in the river and drown it."
"We really should just put it out of its misery," Mary agreed in the same tone. "The humans would not miss it. I am pretty sure they were intending to do the same anyway!"
"Before they gave it to you two!", Ethan agreed in the same tone. "We really should just throw it over that waterfall right now. With a brain disorder, for all we know, it could turn into an instinct dog!"
Hector was cowering down as he listened to what they were saying. He could not believe what he was hearing, such atrocious language, and right in front of their ancestors, too!
"You two are not the pack's leaders," Maximus snarled. "Daisy and I make the decisions."
"We both believe it is morally wrong to kill this puppy just because of how it was born," Daisy snarled.
"Enough, all of you," one of the starry dogs ordered in a firm, but not too angered, voice.
"Ethan, Mary," the male starry dog added in the same tone, "we know and understand that you two only want what is best for your pack. You two strongly believe that eliminating that pup would prevent another bad incident from occurring."
"But killing any pack member is just wrong," Daisy snarled. "It's evil!"
"Will animals do not murder!", Maximus snarled. "Only instinct animals would kill for pleasure!"
"We never said 'FOR PLEASURE'!", Ethan snarled. "There are completely rational reasons for..."
"There are NOT!", Maximus spat furiously back. "You cannot tell me it is right to kill that pup!", he yelled angrily at the starry dogs.
The starry dogs looked at each other uneasily, and there was silence for a few moments. "We know there is a reason for every will animal's opinion or decision," one of the starry dogs responded, "whether it is intended for right or wrong."
"Well," Maximus responded, "Daisy and I are the leaders. We were chosen to be the leaders for a reason."
"Yes, indeed," another starry dog responded. "We knew that you two would emanate positive influences on the rest of your pack members."
"And Maximus and I both heard your blessings loud and clear," Daisy responded. "You all see an incredible extraordinary life for the white puppy."
"We do," a starry dog responded. "We can see how a strange puppy can make a difference unlike other dogs."
Maximus and Daisy nodded slowly in response. Mary and Ethan only kept their angered expressions.
"Think about this," the male starry dog stated. "We ancestors intend for different destinies to be given to each of our descendants. We are willing to light the path each descendant chooses to take, for what they want to do in their life, and between what choices could be regarded as ethically right or wrong to other descendants, we have the power to decide on if each descendant is truly going for or against the oaths they gave to us promising they would give positive influence to the world."
A few moments of silence went by, and then the breeze with the debris and leaves picked up again swiftly, and as it gathered around the starry dogs, they slowly started to disappear, without saying anything else. When they apparently completely left the physical plane, Hector could no longer see them, so he thought they went back to the meadow.
"Well," Daisy broke the silence gently. "Let's head back to the farm. We must catch the sunrise before the humans do."
Just then, Deputy, Ranger, and Tracker appeared from the dark tunnel, with Champ, Starlight, and Rainstorm. "I felt the breeze pick up," Deputy stated. "I thought the ancestors must have left."
"Yes," Daisy answered. "We must go now. The sun will rise very soon."
As Deputy, Ranger, Tracker, and the three horses walked over to where the dams, sires, and puppies were at, Maximus said one last thing.
"Ethan, Mary," Maximus quietly but firmly stated to them, "you may be members of the pack, but you will never again be my friends."
"You will never again be my friends, either," Daisy added in the same tone.
Ethan and Mary only gave Maximus and Daisy blank expressions, as if they did not even care. Hector recalled Maximus mentioning that although he was once friends with Ethan and Mary, he was not anymore. This obviously was why.
The adult dogs mounted themselves and the puppies onto the three horses, and they quickly headed outside the cave to hurry back to the farm. Hector was left alone in the cave, now dark since the bright starry dogs left. Only the moonlight gave light. He decided to go up the steps. When he reached the fort, he recognized the water monsters and heard the top of the roaring waterfall close by. He approached the waterfall, and again enjoyed the cool feeling of the water droplets coming from it. He gazed across the beautiful view to the horizon beyond the bottom of the waterfall. He could tell that the sunrise was indeed close.
Hector closed his eyes slowly, and then all was black, the sound and scent of the waterfall fading away. He crouched down in a sleeping position, and blinked his eyes open to find himself back in the barn, in the nest of straw with Chloe. It was morning, and many of the dogs around him were still asleep.
Too many emotions were flooding through Hector. He was feeling anger, fear, disgust, apprehension, embarrassment, amazement, and shock, all at the same time. He was not sure exactly what to think. He obviously knew that he was born blind, but nearly a stillborn? And Hector could not imagine anyone having such despicable intentions.
Chloe woke up. She yawned, stretched, and sat up. Hector sat up and yawned, keeping an odd expression on his face. Chloe took notice. "Hector?", Chloe asked. "Is something troubling you this morning?"
Hector sighed.
"Did you have another nightmare?", Chloe asked with concern.
"Yes and no," Hector answered uneasily.
"What was it about?"
"I don't think I should tell you, as much as I would like to."
"Why not?"
"Well..."
"What are you two talking about?", Daisy interrupted, padding to them.
"Uh...", Hector responded uneasily.
"Hector had another nightmare," Chloe answered for Hector.
"Another nightmare?", Daisy responded with concern.
"No," Hector argued. "It wasn't a nightmare. It was just a...weird...dream."
"One that gave you such an expression on your face," Chloe suggested.
"It wasn't a scary dream," Hector sighed.
"Then what was it like?", Chloe prompted.
"I don't know how to describe it," Hector replied. "It was just odd." He quickly padded over to the water bowl to take a drink before Daisy and Chloe could prompt him more.
When Hector was drinking, another dog walked over and did the same. Hector looked up and it was Ethan drinking. When Hector stopped drinking, he took a few moments to stare at Ethan. Ethan took notice, and returned a stare at Hector when he finished drinking, with an odd expression like Hector. Hector backed away and padded off, not looking behind him to see if Ethan was still looking at him.
When Hector got outside, he made dirt by the nearby fence.
"Hey!", a voice sounded behind Hector. Hector spun around and saw it was Buster, Owen, and Gavin.
"What do you want?", Hector asked, irritated. He turned around so he could not see them.
"We know what you were doing last night," Buster remarked.
"And?", Hector replied, still irritated.
"We can assume what you told the humans," Owen remarked.
Hector did not respond.
"It doesn't seem as though they are doing anything about it though," Gavin chuckled.
"If anyone has a smaller brain than yours," Buster added, also chuckling, "it's all the humans here!"
"You gotta be asking yourself," Owen mocked, "'where's the justice?'"
"Same place as their minds," Gavin added, "nowhere!"
The bullies laughed. Hector responded with a more furious expression, but did not turn around to show them it.
"The humans obviously believe you don't even know what you are saying to them!", Owen teased.
"Your flea-brained 'marking language' means absolutely nothing to them!", Buster added. "Clearly none of the humans here care about you or your foxdung!"
Hector, absolutely furious, spun around, grabbed Buster's arm tight with his teeth, tossed him aside, and pounded onto Buster's belly, pinning his back down to the ground and digging his claws into him, snarling. "I'd rip your pelt off so hard right now, and scratch your eyes out, and tear your dirty liver out of you, but I'm not like you, you...you son of a lapdog!", Hector screamed furiously, loud enough for all the nearby animals to hear him loud and clear. "All three of you are!", Hector continued, sitting up, pointing to Owen and Gavin. He exclaimed, punching Owen in the face hard, then quickly punching Gavin hard in the stomach, and then biting Buster's other arm tightly, snarling.
"HEY! WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?", a furious voice padded towards them.
Hector quickly released Buster, and froze, with a now shocked expression. He did not turn around to see them, but knew Maximus, Daisy, Ethan, and Mary were all padding up to them.
"Hector!", Maximus snarled.
"What happened?", Mary demanded, seeing bite marks and claw marks on Buster. "Are you alright, Buster?"
"What did you think you were doing, Hector?", Maximus snarled.
"Stupid white furball," Buster taunted Hector, rolling over onto his belly and getting up.
"These furballs started it!", Hector yelled angrily.
"You better watch your mouth," Daisy scolded Hector.
"Maximus! Daisy!", Ethan snapped furiously. "Get that wretched white runt away from our pups!"
"Get him out of here!", Mary added in the same tone.
"Do not tell your leaders what to do!", Maximus snapped furiously back. "You shut your mouth!"
"Don't you dare tell our parents to shut up!", Owen snarled.
Daisy prodded Hector with her nose to follow her, and they walked away. Hector still listened to the argument.
"You saw!", Mary snarled. "You saw what that runt did!"
"Punish him!", Ethan snarled. "Get him under control!"
"Do not speak to me like that!", Maximus spat furiously back.
"WE are not the ones who attacked Buster!", Ethan yelled furiously. "Why are you yelling at us? We did not do anything wrong!"
"It was that piece of dung you call a pup!", Mary added, pointing towards Hector.
Maximus spun around and stormed off into the garden. Daisy gestured with her tail for Hector to follow her into the garden as well. By then, a human had finally happened to walk in the dirt-place, and ran over to Buster, picked him up, examined him briefly, and carried him into the house. Hector had no idea what the human was thinking. But when the human briefly made eye contact with Hector, Hector assumed that the humans would ask him about that later through the markings.
When Maximus, Daisy, and Hector settled themselves next to the small cascades in the garden, Chloe met up with them and sat down too.
"Chloe?", Hector asked. "You...witnessed...that too, didn't you?"
"Yes," Chloe replied.
"Hector?", Maximus asked, in a firm, but calm voice. "What was all that about?"
Hector sighed.
"What were they saying to you this time?", Chloe prompted.
Hector just took an uncertain glance at each dog.
"Hector?", Maximus prompted.
"I'm sorry I attacked them, Maximus," Hector wept. "I won't do it again."
"You darn right you won't do it again," Maximus scolded. "This wanton violence is totally unacceptable."
"I didn't mean to," Hector cried. "They...they..."
"What on earth provoked it?", Daisy asked with concern.
"Those guys are complete jerks," Chloe answered for Hector. "They are always teasing him."
"Are there things you aren't telling us, dear?", Daisy prompted Hector, with concern.
"I don't wanna talk about it," Hector sobbed.
"I could sense your growing anger, son," Maximus remarked. "Even if they were taunting you, something else was troubling you first."
"Hector did say he had a strange dream last night," Daisy remarked.
"Yeah," Chloe responded. "Tell us about it, brother."
Hector wept for a moment, and paused. The three dogs were giving him worried expressions. There was silence for several moments, as Hector was thinking about what to say.
Hector finally asked, "Are pups born like I was often killed?"
The three dogs' faces widened with complete shock and horror.
Daisy gasped. "Where did you hear that?", she prompted.
"I heard it all last night," Hector explained. "I was there. The recent birth ceremony. I experienced it all. I listened to every statement spoken."
Maximus and Daisy exchanged glances at each other.
"I heard all that was said," Hector continued. "Pups born like I was, having several birth defects and much malnourishment, are often killed by either humans, or adult dogs, if they do not die on their own." Hector sobbed. "Is it true?"
Chloe's face was covered in horror, and looked as though she did not know how to respond. Maximus and Daisy looked at each other, as if they were asking each other nonverbally if they should lie or tell the truth.
Maximus and Daisy looked back at Hector. "It's partially true," Daisy explained. "Such pups are sometimes put out of their misery shortly after being born. Humans and adult dogs sometimes believe there is no hope for such pups."
"So...", Hector sobbed and stammered. "Daisy...if you...hadn't...well...I...would've...been...the humans...would have..." He paused, knowing he could not speak that full statement.
"Probably, dear," Daisy answered. "I regret to say that. You were very lucky to have pulled through."
"We both knew you had to understand that at some time," Maximus added. "But we wish you hadn't asked that at such a young age."
"When...", Hector sobbed, "Buster, Owen, and Gavin...they were telling me...how useless I was...how...the humans...have no deep regard for me...or my...extraordinary skills."
"How could they say such things?", Daisy asked.
"Cuz that's the type of animal they are!", Chloe angrily exclaimed. "They do not care about anyone but themselves!"
Maximus shook his head slowly, and looked at Daisy. "Ethan and Mary...they just don't want to put the same influence on pups as we do."
"I hate them," Hector responded. "And they hate me."
"We understand that not all animals get along together," Maximus responded.
"But, Hector," Daisy added. "There's good in everyone."
"Will animals are not known to be evil," Maximus added.
"Mary and Ethan always wanted to get rid of me, though," Hector protested. "If that's not evil, I don't know what is."
"Do not get us wrong, son," Maximus responded. "We do not approve of those intentions."
"Certainly not," Daisy added. "We were not going to let that happen."
"But Mary and Ethan knew for certain that you were greatly suffering," Maximus explained. "They knew you were living in pain."
"Their belief is that a life of suffering," Daisy added, "and physical and emotional pain and distress, is a life just not worth living."
"What Daisy and I believed was that you needed to fight," Maximus added. "We felt that you should be put through that terrible suffering, in hopes that in time, it would go away."
"Instead of ending your suffering by death," Daisy added. "The ancestors agreed with Maximus and I that a very young pup that suffered much adversity, beginning with a rough start of life, may become one of the most successful animals of all."
Maximus and Daisy slowly nodded, their expressions giving a question of if Hector was understanding.
"I understand," Hector responded. It was silent for several moments as Hector was in thought. He realized he had to understand that there is good in everyone. Ethan and Mary must have been spreading a different influence on Buster and Hector's other littermates. It could explain why they are bullies. However their parents were influencing them must be why they were so mean. It must be why they act the way they act. They would not be so mean if they had different parents, giving them a different type of guidance and way of being raised. Hector was also thinking that the humans were not wanting him to suffer more wrath from the bullies from punishing them for what they apparently always did to Hector.
Maximus broke the silence. "So, Hector," he tried to make his voice sound happier, "you wanted to know about the investigation in the woods?"
Hector calmed down from his sobbing. "Yeah," he tried to cheer up. "I did want to know. And I also wanted to tell you what I told the humans through those markings."