Food...
Annette's belly groaned at the word, and the smell wafting faintly from a nearby alley, right across the street. Her twitching nose identified meat of some kind. It was the most heavenly aroma the young dog had ever encountered in her life. She was starving.
"Mm...I say we go for it." Kilian muttered, seemingly in the same hungry trance as Annette.
"We have to give it to Azriel." Polly said. Her voice shook. "We have to bring something back to Azriel."
Kilian kicked at the dirty, crusty layer of snow under his paws and grumbled.
"We 'ent bringin' everything we find back to him unless he wants us dead soon."
Annette sighed and examined one of her forelegs. She'd have to wash the blood streaks off soon.
"No, he doesn't want us dead. He wants us to each each other."
The half-joke actually made Kilian chuckle.
"I'll start with your legs, Annette. I wanna keep your pretty face long as I can."
"Come on, then!" Polly interrupted. "Quit flirting, we've got to hurry...can't mess this one up." She glanced over her shoulder with wide brown eyes, as if expecting one of her captors to be right there, waiting for her to fail.
Annette looked at the road. It was incredibly busy. Or at least, much more so than New England Town. Automobiles were putting loudly down the stone streets on each other's rear, as if there wasn't enough space for them in the world.
"How're we gonna get past...that?" She asked, looking at Kilian. His gaze was sweeping the street thoughtfully.
"Hmm. Humans have to cross it don't they?" He asked rhetorically, and then set off down the sidewalk, ignoring the huddles and herds of human feet tromping off to their destinations, whatever they may be. They were too busy to bother with a stray dog or two passing them by.
Annette and Polly looked at each other, and then trotted after Kilian. This was a strange world they'd been thrust into.
"Aha!" Kilian stopped walking after a while. He turned to his friends with a pleased smile on his face. Annette peered around the terrier mix to see a path across the road, a small area where humans were crossing the street safely.
"Oh, this is excellent!" Annette exclaimed. "No getting mushed by automobiles today!" She smiled at Kilian, and he returned it. Polly cleared her throat and swerved around the two. They broke away from each other to follow her, and the crowd of humans.
Early into their trek, Annette began to drift. She gazed between the shuffling feet and long legs of the humans, and imagined the legs were Jim Dear and Darling's. The mixed breed imagined that she could see her father smiling around them, and her brother and sisters scampering and prancing on the end of their leashes.
Her heart cried for the images, wanting to run to them and nuzzle them, go home and rest by a warm fire and have her wounds tended. But she knew that no matter how she wished it, these were still only figments of her imagination.
Annette was brought out of her daydreaming by Kilian's paw on her head. He pushed her down in a lightning quick move, and she felt some passing human's briefcase skim the tiny sprigs of fur on the top of her head. Kilian let go of Annette's head when the danger of being knocked out had passed and the two dogs gave each other a wide eyed, startled look, and then laughed.
Prisoners though they were, they were out of sight of their 'leaders'. It felt good to be out.
The three dogs, with Polly in the lead, made it across the road after that moment without incident. They ducked around a few more hurrying feet, and found themselves standing in the mouth of the alley, inhaling the scent that had brought them here.
Annette raised her nose and sniffed deeper, turning away from her friends. She followed the delicious smell to a rusting trash bin and patted it with her paw.
"It's in here." She announced to her friends.
Kilian trotted over with Polly behind him. He gave Annette a small smile.
"You found it...good work." He praised. He sounded surprised. Annette couldn't blame him.
Polly said nothing. She reared up on her hind legs and pushed the bin over with more strength than the weakening smaller dogs could have possibly possessed.
Polly and Kilian poked their noses into the bin to find the source of the smell. Annette started forward, and then stopped. She thought she'd heard something. A faint shuffling sound, like creeping paw steps on hard concrete.
Annette stared at the dark, shadowy innards of the alleyway while she and her friends crept forward, forcing her eyes to focus through the lack of lighting. She couldn't help but remember what had happened the last time she and Kilian had visited an alley for food.
A resounding crash made everyone jump. The three dogs turned in the direction of the sound with legs braced and teeth bared. Their time in prison had made them jumpy.
"Who's there?" Kilian woofed.
"Show yourself!" Polly called.
Annette's stomach growled loudly, but she remained quiet. She was getting dizzy.
A deep growl seemingly answered Annette's belly. It rumbled out of the darkest of shadows, and upon closer inspection, Annette could see the sillhouette of a dog standing defensively in them.
"That meat is mine!" The voice called.
"I said show yourself!" Polly barked menacingly. She stepped forward, in front of the smaller dogs. As she pushed past them, Annette saw the determined look on her face. Nothing would stand in her way of bringing this offering home.
There was a small, hesitating huff, and then the stranger stepped reluctantly from the shadows.
Annette felt Kilian shift closer. They could all see that the dog was hostile. He was stiff and angry looking. His brows were furrowed and his lip was curled over his teeth. One of his lower canines was thrust over his jowl, a deformity it seemed. Or a broken jaw. The dog's matted, tan colored fur was bristling. He was up for a fight.
Annette's heart dropped. She and Kilian were too battered, bruised, and tired to fight, and Polly...she surely couldn't take this mongrel on all alone, no matter how much she wanted to protect the children.
"We ent' looking for a fight, Man." Kilian said tiredly. He nodded towards the bin, nudging Annette while he spoke. She backed away from him and approached the bin without taking her eyes off of the tan-furred mutt.
"We're just lookin' for a bite or two to eat. There's a whole awful lot of us you see...and-"
"Stop!" The dog barked. "That meat is mine." His voice was on the verge of breaking. He was as desperate as they. Annette's plummeting heart beat faster when Kilian looked over his shoulder at her. His eyes told her not to stop.
"We don't want trouble." Kilian told the dog again.
"We need food." Polly said bluntly. "Or children will die."
"You're tryin' to get in my head!" The dog whined. His eyes were wide and wild. He tossed his head. "Don't you dare! I'll-I'll..." His whine turned into a growl. He stepped forward. Something was slightly off about him.
Polly returned the advance, blocking Annette's view of the dog for a moment. In the same moment, Kilian looked at her and nodded. It was time to run. Annette dove into the bin as fast as she could, scrambling for the meat.
It wasn't hard to find. The rancid remains of some type of game bird, discarded as it had gone bad. No human would eat that. The slight rot explained why it had been smelled from so far away. She grabbed it tightly in her jaws and shot Kilian a terrified look.
"Go, Polly!" Kilian barked. Polly's long legs scrambled against the icy ground, and Annette saw the stranger's head fly up in surprise. His wild eyes were filled with shock.
Kilian was right behind Polly, and Annette was on his tail.
"No! C-come back! That meat is mine! That meat is mine!" Annette didn't look back to see if the dog was following or not, though she could hear his desperate howling getting quieter.
Annette could feel her muscles weakening again. The hunger was taking its toll as she ran. She closed her eyes and felt a warm wave wash over her mind. She was getting dizzy.
The bird began to slip from her mouth as she stumbled.
"No, Ma'am, we gotta keep going!" Kilian urged. He was panting hard as well. She felt his weakening strength holding her up, supporting her side. Polly's legs brushed against her other.
"Come on, now, he ent followin' us." Kilian said after a while, drawing the run to a close. Annette couldn't hold the meat any longer. She dropped it in the snow and collapsed. It was right in front of her muzzle
"M-Kilian..." She whimpered. Her nose twitched. She cracked open her eyes to see Kilian hovering worriedly. Polly was pacing nearby. Her ears were alert and her head was snapping back and forth, watching intently.
"Annette? Are you okay?" Kilian whined. He lay down and belly crawled towards Annette, until she could feel his whiskers brushing her face. She nodded.
"Just catching my breath." She breathed. She was feeling a little better already. "Running hurts..." She muttered.
Kilian looked at his paws.
"I know. We're all hungry." He winced.
"Kids?" Polly cleared her throat. She sounded more like Polly now. The cold, broken hearted machine of a dog had retreated for the moment. Annette raised her spinning head to look at her.
"You guys eat that bird." She told them. "I'll find us something else to take back."
"But-Polly.." Annette began. Polly broke her off mid-sentence.
"No. Eat it. You're getting sick." Polly replied shortly. "Eat it, Annette. You too, Kilian."
Kilian sighed. "Meet us back here when you find something." He told the brown dog. "We'll search too, it'd probably be best if we split up anyway."
Polly nodded curtly and turned to walk away.
"Polly!" Annette called. The dog stopped walking, but didn't turn her head. "You eat too, okay?"
Polly paused, and then bowed her head slightly. "I'll be fine, Annette." And with that, she was gone.
Kilian and Annette both looked at each other, and then at the unidentified, slightly rotten bird in front of them. Their stomachs growled together as one.
"No point in waiting any longer then, eh?" Kilian finally said. Annette agreed, and the two tore into the bird together with a viciousness that would have surely left Annette's sisters wrinkling their noses.
Their meager meal was gone in minutes, and the two young dogs were left licking their lips for anything that could have possibly escaped their mouths. Annette was still hungry, and she knew Kilian was too. But having food in her belly for the first time in more than a week...it was heaven. She had a jolting thought then that Kilian caught in her face in an instant.
"Thinking about home?" He muttered. Annette nodded.
"Back home we had fresh meat in our bowls all the time." She answered quietly. "We'd never think to eat..."
"It must have been nice." Kilian gave a small laugh. "I remember that turkey you brought me. I wish I had some of that now. But at least I have you, Ma'am." He started to give Annette a nuzzle and then drew back.
"I stink, don't I?" She screwed her face up in disgust.
"Maybe just a little." He stuttered awkwardly. "A-and you've got our..blood all over you as well..."
Annette didn't respond. Instead, she heaved herself up on wobbly paws and dizzied over to the nearest snowdrift.
"I hate being so filthy." She said, diving into the pile of soft snow. She sunk down into it like a freezing, icy bath and began to roll around. Blood, grit, urine and dirt sloughed off of her and onto the pristine, white snow, staining it the colors of vomit.
Kilian laughed. "Runs in the family, huh?" The terrier settled into the snow beside his friend and mirrored her 'bath' until she could see the white parts of his coat again.
Both of the dogs stood after a while and shook snow from their coats. The only color left to their fur that wasn't meant to be there were the numerous gashes and cuts left by one another.
Annette dropped her gaze, embarrassed for having hurt this dog so badly. He nudged her cheek with a paw.
"Hey." He comforted softly. "We had to do it. Wanna hear the rest of my plan for escape?"
Annette cut her eyes up and found herself gazing into Kilian's. He was smiling. She couldn't help but smile back.
"Tell me on the way." She told him suddenly. She wagged her short, silky tail. It felt good. It felt clean.
"On the way to where?" Kilian asked, tilting his head.
"I've got a plan too. For food."
Kilian's tail began to wag as well.
"Lead the way, Ma'am. I'll follow you to the end of the world."
The two fell into step beside each other and Annette gave a real laugh.
"I wish we could go there." She said.
"And what would we do if we got sniffed out? We'd be at the end of the world!" Kilian teased, nudging her shoulder. The pair slipped into an easy conversation, telling each other what they would do traveling to the ends of the world, discussing Kilian's great plans for escape, and Annette's idea for food.
They reached the place Annette had decided to go and stopped to take it in. They were back in the small town, where Annette had spotted the small white dog upon their arrival.
Annette's plan was a simple one. If any dog around here ate as well as the Darlings' dogs had, taking a bite or two would be easy.
"Here goes nothin'. Kilian said, walking again. Annette followed him. She perked her ears and focused on listening while Kilian sniffed the air. An intake of breath from the terrier took her attention.
"Ah..Ma'am, I know you had your heart set on a nice piece of meat or two, but how do you feel about...pie?"
"Pie?" Annette asked. Kilian's eyes were alight with excitement. He gave a bounce and nudged Annette forward.
"Pie! Apple pie. Coolin' somewhere, where no dogs 'ent supposed to have it. But we can change that."
The pair laughed excitedly and set off at a fast trot. Annette forgot listening and followed her nose, and her heart. Or rather, Kilian. But she knew that he was quickly becoming such to her.
They reached the house in question, a tiny little thing with flowing curtains on an open window, letting a cool wintery breeze into someone's kitchen. Annette closed her eyes and breathed in the warm smell of apple pie.
"Mm.." She muttered.
"We won't be eating this one." Kilian warned gently.
Annette rolled her eyes. With a pang, she was reminded of Angel.
"I know. How are we gonna get up there?"
Kilian glanced around.
"Easy." He told her, trotting over to a wooden fruit crate conveniently sitting against the wall of the house. "We take a box..." He grunted, pushing the box until it was under the window. "We hop up." He did so. "And we take..." He grabbed the tin of the pie in his teeth. "Teh phie!" He hopped back down, holding the precious item carefully. He raised his eyebrows triumphantly at Annette.
The two set off then, back to meet Polly. There wasn't much talk, but Annette could feel excitement and happiness radiating off of Kilian's fur every time he let his side brush hers. No one was getting punished today. They'd found food, their bellies were no longer empty, and they had a sure fire plan to get out of this mess.
Polly was waiting for them when they reached the place. She wagged her tail when she saw the two trotting towards her.
"Hey guys! Lookie what I got. This place has so much more food than home..." She said, almost wistfully. There was a string of sausages slung around her neck.
"I got a bite to eat, and then this. I don't think the guy sellin' 'em is gonna be too happy though." She chuckled. "I was worried that you guys had melted into the snow..." The Labrador nodded towards the filthy leavings smeared into the once white drift.
Kilian grunted around the pie, and Annette translated for him.
"Hey, Polly." She smiled sweetly. "We got something too. And we had a...bath."
Polly laughed. She was happy. Annette could see it bubbling off of her.
"Come on." She chuckled. "Let's get this stuff back to the villain's lair. I wanna see my kids."
The walk wasn't a long one. They hadn't stopped far from their charred 'home.' The trio swerved into the alley and came face to face with Deedro and Pepper.
"Hey guys!" Deedro exclaimed. "We just got back, we've been looking for you everywhere."
"Did you find anything?" Polly said, then glanced around the two a bit nervously. "How are the pups doing?"
"They're fine." Pepper replied. "Smokie asked for you." She smiled.
"She did?" Polly blinked. "She can talk..." The brown dog swerved around her friends quickly and darted into the building, sausages and all.
"Didn't find much." Deedro shrugged. "But a few old bones is better than nothing."
Annette didn't get a chance to answer. She opened her mouth, and a growl rippled through the mid-day air. It wasn't her own, but she knew that voice.
"You got my meat?" The voice barked. Kilian groaned around the pie. Annette turned to look at the scruffy dog with everyone else.
"Who..is that?" Polly said, shuffling into a fighting stance. The dog lunged forward and barked, then began pacing a few feet away.
"We kinda stole something from him..." Annette said awkwardly.
"Yeah, darn right you did!" The dog whined. He scratched his head frantically. "I needed that food..."
"So did we!" Annette said desperately. "You've got no idea..."
"Shut up!" The dog shrilled. "And gimme what ya got. Or...I'll kill you. I will."
"I seriously doubt that." Deedro drawled. He gave a sigh. "Look, son. You need to get out of here. You do not want to be caught in this place."
"I don't care!" The dog whimpered.
"Mm..." A new voice broke in. "Perhaps...it would be best if this young man did find out."
And with that, the dog was surrounded. He whipped around to find Harley and Azriel stepping into the alley.
"Who're you?" The dog snapped, bristling heavily.
Azriel shrugged.
"Leader. Father. Lord. Azriel. And what might your name be?"
"They call me Scruffy. Your dogs stole from me! That's why I'm here, I want my meat back!"
Azriel raised one eyebrow and cast a look in Annette and Kilian's direction.
"Bringing your Father new recruits. Impressive."
Annette wanted to throw up, but the opportunity that had come their way was too good to pass.
"Yes, Father. We led this dog here knowing that you would love to have...him as our nightly offering."
Kilian dropped his pie. It hit the concrete with a metallic clatter.
"Our goal is to please you, you know." He oozed, bowing his head.
"Wonderful! Splendid work, my lovelies! I see a promotion coming your way." The mottled dog sing-songed. Annette's stomach churned.
"Wh-what are you talkin' about?" Scruffy croaked. "I'm gettin' out of here, you all are nuts!"
He tried to thrust his way past Azriel and Harley and was thrown onto his back with a heavy thud. His eyes widened with terror and his mouth fell open, and he was left staring Harley in the face.
"I do apologize, but you are not leaving us...nuts." Azriel said sweetly. "From this moment forth you will live with us." Azriel glanced at the four dogs in front of him. Annette, Kilian, Pepper, and Deedro. "You are dismissed." He said curtly.
The crowd dispersed at once. It was time to get far away from Azriel. Kilian nudged Annette once they had pushed their way into the burned structure. He dropped his pie in the middle of the floor and darted upstairs with Annette on his tail. It was time to begin the escape plan.
Three floors up they went, then four, then five...Annette was out of breath by the time they reached the last available floor. Everything else was burned too badly to climb. But, this was where they needed to be anyway.
They'd gone over this part of the plan many times on their venture into town. The two didn't even need to speak it. In the far wall of the room stood a broken window. Packed close against the wall was another window, on another tall structure. It was close enough to jump through easily.
Kilian smiled at Annette and braced his feet on the charred windowsill, and leaped through, right onto a wooden desk. His feet skidded for a moment. Annette feared that he would fall and alert the owner of the place.
After a second's scare, he caught his footing and grinned across the way at Annette. He paced around the desk, and Annette watched the stairwell nervously. No one came. She gestured with her head for Kilian to return.
He rolled his eyes playfully at her nervousness and took a flying leap back across the small gap. He landed on Annette, making her fall into a giggling heap with him.
This was their plan. To create too strong of a scent trail for Samuel to resist, and then escape another way. Everything was falling into place.
"Again?" Kilian whispered in Annette's ear. She laughed. "Go on. I'll keep watch."
An agonized howl downstairs made both dogs flinch. Scruffy must be getting marked.
"Just a few more times." Kilian said confidently. Annette nodded, and it began. Leap after leap, jump after jump, Kilian's scent coated the window and the room beyond.
Finally, he was done. He came back exhausted and panting. "Gotta make that window hard to get back through when I get across." He whispered quietly.
"Darn right ya do."
Both dogs nearly jumped out of their skin when William and Bill came slinking up the stairs.
"We are gonna die..." Kilian gritted.
"Oh, shut up, Kilian, you worrisome little joke." William sighed.
"We're here to help." Bill grumbled. "We can make those humans mad..." He crept forward and leaned in close. "Mad enough to bring guns."
Annette was as suspicious as Kilian sounded when he spoke.
"Why would you help us...?" He said cautiously.
The two Shepherd twins looked at each other and then back at Kilian.
"You was our friend once." Bill growled.
"And we want to be home as much as you do." William whispered longingly. It was the first time Annette had heard such emotion in his voice. It saddened her. She knew exactly what he was feeling.
"Kilian..." She said softly. He sighed.
"You're in. We'll tell you when we're ready."
The Shepherds nodded.
"One more thing." William said.
"Bentley knows." Bill finished his brother's sentence.
"And he isn't coming. He said he's done."
Annette and Kilian bowed their heads in understanding. What reason would a dog have to live on with no legs to run?
"Be seein' you then." Bill gruffed. He looked at Annette. "You look good, Sweetheart. Cleaner."
When the Shepherds had gone, Kilian gave a chuckle.
"Bill has a soft spot for you."
The rest of the day was spent planning among the dogs. In and out of the shelter they went, throughout town, whispering to each other. Polly and Pepper agreed that they would take the pups out for their first 'training session' on the city's streets before the plan sprang into action.
Deedro had dared to ask Azriel's permission to take the shy little Boomer out to search for food. The two would create a distraction amongst the remaining dogs.
Sunny was shocked and perplexed to be part of the plan himself.
"Wha-me?" He had said, wide eyed.
"Yes you!" Kilian answered. The dogs were trotting through town side by side.
"We need you to block the window for us. If anyone comes back through we're in trouble. You can do it." Annette reassured him with a smile. He ducked his head shyly.
"I'll do my best...I can't believe we're actually doing this!" He woofed. Annette and Kilian attacked him with hushes. His bellowing hound's voice had gotten too loud for comfort.
It was getting dark now. The dogs reluctantly headed back to the charred old building to bed down for the night.
When they stepped inside, they were instantly thrust into an offering line. Scoomp glared at the three but said nothing. They were late. Annette's heart beat fast.
Scoomp was already nearly done with everyone's offerings by this time.
He stopped on Annette and Kilian and squinted hard. His wide jaws curled into a snarl.
"I already know what you two brought home. A few slices of pie and a whimpering fool that doesn't know which end his tail is on." He shook his head and tossed it. "Get outta here. Azriel doesn't wanna see you in the offerin' line. You're too special for that." He mocked.
Annette was astonished. It had been that easy to gain the dog's trust. He surely wouldn't suspect their plans now.
She and Kilian scurried eagerly away without looking back.
They ran up the long stairway, grinning at each other.
"Did you hear that?" Kilian laughed.
"I did! We're special!" She gave a little skip and nearly tripped on the steps.
"Whoops! Don't break your special legs." Kilian joked. Annette laughed. She was excited beyond belief. She felt like home was just around the corner, so close she could almost smell it.
They reached the fifth floor, still grinning happily.
Kilian began his routine while Annette stood back, far enough away that the area would no longer strengthen her scent. She watched Kilian, jumping methodically, back and forth, admiring him for such a cunning plan.
"That should do it." He panted after a while. "Everything is set."
Annette trotted over and smiled. "Tomorrow then?" She said.
"Tomorrow." Kilian nuzzled her cheek. She returned the gesture and wagged her tail, suddenly feeling nervous.
"I hope it goes right." She whispered.
"It will. Trust me." Kilian said confidently. "Come on. Let's go find the others."
The two trotted off down the stairs without another word. Around the third floor, they were stopped by the newest prisoner.
"Um..." Kilian said, trying to work his way around the bedraggled dog. "Excuse us?"
"Why did you bring me here!" The dog barked loudly. He held out his shaking, blood stained paw for the pair to see. "Look at this! What is this?"
"It's nothing." Kilian shrugged. "Just something to track you if you leave this place."
"I don't...You're lying to me!" The dog swung a paw out and struck Kilian hard in the face. His head jerked to the side and grunted.
"Hit me right in the cuts, why don't ya." He grumbled. "Let us pass, Scruffy. You can try to leave if you want to. Just don't say we didn't warn you."
"Fine! I will." He whimpered. "What's gonna happen if I do it?" He asked reluctantly.
Annette spoke up.
"You saw Bentley." She said, trying to scare the dog for his own good. He didn't need to go out that way. No one did.
The dog was stunned into silence.
"You're lying to me..." He muttered again, backing up. His feet slipped on the gritty, broken stairs and he nearly fell, but continued retreating.
"I don't...I don't talk to liars!" He exclaimed, rather childishly.
"Then don't! Just remember what us liars said to you." Kilian called down the stairs. The dog disappeared with another whimper.
"His head is messed up." Annette said, so quietly that only Kilian could hear. The terrier stared ahead sadly.
"I know. The streets can really beat it out of you sometimes."
Annette rested her chin on Kilian's back for a moment, wondering for all the world what was going through his mind. She felt him relax.
"Such a sweet girl." He said when she pulled away. He smiled and nudged her. "We still need to find the others. Come on."
They found Deedro, Polly, Pepper and everyone else together on the second floor, sprawled together in a single, quiet group. Everyone looked up at Annette and Kilian's arrival.
Sunny smiled and gave a false growl. A few of the other dogs joined in.
"You traitor!" Polly barked. "Last thing we need is more prisoners here."
Kilian snorted, keeping up the act. "We 'ent doing you no harm." He woofed back. "We just wanna sleep here."
"Fine!" Deedro snapped, acting as the speaker of the group now. "Sleep here, but don't go turning on us tonight like you did that wild headed mutt on the streets."
Annette gave what she hoped was a harsh laugh as she settled down beside her friends.
"It was too much to resist." She said.
"Now." Pepper whispered. Everyone huddled together and leaned in to talk. "What are we gonna do about the new dog?"
"He won't be allowed out tomorrow. So they won't be chasing him around. Best we can do is just ignore him for now." Deedro answered.
"He did come in handy though." Sunny piped up. Boomer nodded, always the quiet one.
One of Polly's brown pups crawled onto Annette's paws and growled.
"Traydor." It squeaked out. A chuckle rippled through the crowd.
"I want everyone to run when you get the chance." Kilian whispered. "Meet us at the pastures."
A few of the dogs nodded.
Annette yawned.
"Nothing more we can do right now." Deedro said, noticing her. "We need to rest."
"Tomorrow is going to be a long day." Annette said softly.
Annette's heart was beating faster than ever. Her fur was tingling with excitement and fear. Everyone was in place, and by fate's design, half of Azriel's dogs had gone out hunting. It was time.
She followed Kilian up the long flight of stairs, close by his side. Neither spoke much. They were too nervous.
When they reached the top, Annette turned quickly to Kilian. His eyes were as wide as her own.
"Kilian-I-"
"Shh." He said. "It's going to be okay. You know the plan."
She nodded and brushed her muzzle against his.
"G'bye." She said quietly.
"I'll see you soon." He answered, pushing his face into her fur briefly. The two parted, ending the bittersweet moment.
Annette watched her friend dash around the room once more, coating another faint scent line onto the blackened floors. He then jumped through an opposite window, onto a rickety fire escape. It creaked once, and then quieted as he began to sneak.
Annette took a deep, shaky breath, and then let loose with a scream.
"Kilian! Someone help! Please, come back!" She howled. Her distraught voice echoed around the hollowed walls. She raced down the stairs as fast as her legs could carry her.
"He's gone! Someone, help! Out the window!"
She stopped to listen. There was a frantic scuffling beating its way up the stairs. She retreated, running back up as fast as she could possibly go. She skidded into the fifth floor, feeling hot and terrified.
Annette didn't dare look back. She could hear voices, confused and excited. They were coming. Without a moment's hesitation, she leaped through the window and ducked down under the desk. Somewhere in this place, Bill was already hiding.
The voices were audible now.
"Samuel!" Azriel was snapping. Annette could hear his hot breathing, thirsting for the blood of an escaped prisoner. "Catch his scent, my son!"
"Father." William's voice called. "The female is gone. Their scent is fresh, here. Look. Even we can smell it."
Annette crept from the room on her belly.
"Go get them!" Azriel practically wheezed. Annette had never heard him so flustered. A couple of heavy thuds marked the entrance of the dogs.
One. Azriel. Two. Harley. Three. Samuel. Four. William.
"I...the scents...they falter here." Samuel stuttered nervously. Annette didn't wait for the answer to this. She stood and ran as fast as she could, until she heard a familiar, booming bark.
She stopped dead in her tracks. Human voices were shouting fearfully, overlapping vicious snarls. William bounded from the room and snatched Annette up by her scruff. She cried out in pain, but he didn't stop. The Shepherd dragged her into a broom closet and swung the door shut lightly behind her, not letting it click.
Annette strained to make sense of the commotion.
"Get outta here!" William boomed.
"No, let the humans stay and fight us!" Bill growled eagerly. Annette heard more heavy scuffling and longed to see what was happening. The closet door squeaked open slowly. Annette huddled deeper into the dark corner, afraid to know who had opened the door.
"Annette." The little brown and white terrier was frantically gesturing for Annette to follow. "It isn't safe here. We need to go, now."
"Kilian..." Annette breathed a sigh. She'd ask him how he got inside later.
"Come on, hurry! Back to the window." He hissed.
"I-umph!" Something big and heavy tripped over the two dogs. It was Bill. His eyes were wild and his tongue lolled from his mouth.
"They brought guns to the party." He rasped eagerly, scrambling to his feet. "We gotta go."
The three raced back to the room with the window. Annette could see Sunny staring fearfully across the way when she hopped onto the desk. He kept glancing back and forth between the window and the stairwell.
"You first." Kilian demanded, pushing Annette forward a bit. She hesitated. "Now!" Kilian barked. Annette leaped. She was across in a second, sliding across the floor beside Sunny.
Dogs were shouting frantically downstairs. She could hear Boomer howling, long and sharp.
"How many are there?" Annette rasped.
"I don't know. Not many." Sunny answered. "Deedro and Boomer and Stella for sure."
Bill landed heavily on the floor, coughing on the ash his big body had thrown into the air.
Annette stumbled to her feet to reach the window. Kilian was still over there. The crack of a gun ripped through the air, once, twice, three times...
Kilian was on the edge of the window when Azriel appeared. He turned, startled, to see the bigger dog clambering frantically onto the desk behind him.
"Jump, Kilian!" Sunny howled.
Annette found herself unable to say anything.
Kilian leaped from the window, and for a brief second, it looked as if he would be safe. His eyes sparked with terror and his jump was broken as his feet left the window, a mottled paw had thrust him out of shape.
Everything seemed to slow down for Annette. She could hear the blood in her own ears roaring. Her heart was with Kilian. She felt as though she was dropping too.
"Kilian!" She cried.
His front paws barely hit the sill. There was still hope. The world sped back up again, seemingly too fast to think. Kilian's hind paws scrabbled for a grip on the crumbling wall. Annette threw her paws around his neck and sunk her teeth into his skin and fur.
Sunny and Bill came forward to help when Annette's strength failed her. The three pulled Kilian into the window, where he fell to the floor in a gasping heap. Annette clung to him, hardly able to breath herself.
"Traitors! All of you!" Azriel howled. "You'll all die for this!"
He threw himself from the desk and through the window.
Sunny leaped into action, reaching the window before Azriel. The mottled dog's blue eyes widened with shock when Sunny's paws hit him. His claws could be heard on the windowsill, clawing for a grip.
And then, he was gone, without a sound. His fall was too quick to even elicit a scream. The last sound the tyrant would ever make was the thump of his body breaking on the concrete below.
There was silence for a while, as the truth sunk in.
Together, the four dogs crept to the window to look for themselves.
"He's...gone." Annette whispered.
"We're free..." Kilian said.
"I don't believe it." Bill breathed.
"We can go home." Sunny finished.
The sounds downstairs had ceased.
"Looks like they know it too." Bill nodded towards the stairs.
The four dogs crept silently downstairs, still too shocked to talk. When they reached the first floor, it was empty.
Everyone was standing around the crumpled body outside. Azriel's blue eyes were still wide. His face was frozen in terror. Stella was shaking her head violently, as if she couldn't believe the sight.
Deedro and Boomer were a bit further away, cautious about being so close to the evil dog, dead or not.
The fluffy white dog who's name Annette had never learned was sniffing the body, while Scruffy shuffled his paws awkwardly. Mona simply stared, open mouthed. The master was dead.
"You killed him!" Stella cried. Her eyes welled with tears. "He was the one that couldn't die..."
"But he is dead." Mona said. Her voice was awed.
"He's dead." Kilian confirmed. "We don't have to be afraid anymore."
The white dog raised his head.
"What about Harley?" He said nervously. "Harley is what made Fa-Azriel, strong."
"Harley!" Bill exclaimed. "Last I saw he was in that-that place with Will. Where's William?"
"Here." A smooth voice called tiredly. William limped around the corner slowly. Bill raced to meet his twin, obviously relieved.
"Where's Harley?" Kilian asked.
"Dead. With Samuel. I tried to get the old man to join us." The Shepherd winced. "He tore into me." His eyes lit upon seeing Azriel lying dead in the snow.
Only Stella's grieving whimper broke the quiet.
"We did it, Will." Annette said eventually. "We're safe now."
"Safe!" Stella creaked. "He was keeping us safe! Safe from the world...and now he's gone." A sob broke out.
"Who's going to tell his pack what happened?" The white dog asked.
"I vote Stella does it." Bill said quickly. "'Cause I'm going home."
Home...Annette's heart flew at the sound.
"Home sounds good to me too." Kilian breathed.
Everyone was gathered together in the pasture, ready to go. They were to head back to the train, and follow it the way they'd come.
"Are you all sure you want this?" Annette was saying. Deedro, Polly and Pepper looked at each other, one by one.
"Yes. We want to stay here to raise our family." Polly said with a sad smile, probably remembering her lost children. "There's plenty to eat here for everyone."
"You could stay with us if you wanted." Deedro offered. "Be a part of our family."
Kilian shook his head.
"Annette has a family to return to. And I'm not parting with her for anything." He and the spaniel mix shared a smile.
"We understand." Pepper nodded. "We'll...we'll miss you all. Thank you, for everything."
"And thank you." Annette responded.
"Train's here!" A voice barked.
"Oh-hurry up, you don't wanna miss it!" Polly said.
Everyone said a quick goodbye and parted then, for the last time. Annette was torn. She would miss the friends she'd made.
Will and Bill were already in the train car. They helped the smaller dogs, who's legs were too short to jump. Annette wanted to howl her joy to the world. She and Kilian shared another happy look. Boomer and Sunny were poking their heads from the car eagerly, waiting impatiently for it to get moving.
"I wish Bentley changed his mind." William sighed. "I was actually starting to like him."
Annette's happiness quelled for a moment. Bentley had refused, time and time again, to join them. He had stayed behind, with the other dogs of Azriel's pack.
Some of the dogs, such as Stella, had broken off in an attempt to create a terrifying pack of their own. Everyone knew that it would never work, not with Harley dead.
The others, including the nameless white dog, had stayed behind, sacrificing a trip back home to stay with Bentley. Annette understood these stray's desire to stay. Food was plentiful here in this great city. Annette's belly was full for the first time since leaving home.
The train lurched to a start. Annette couldn't help herself any longer. She threw back her head and released a wild howl. In seconds, Kilian had joined her, and then the twins, and then the booming hounds. The car was alive with dog music.
Far away, out on the fields, came an answer to their cries, a fearsome, striking goodbye, a chorus of free dogs.
Annette breathed the cool night air deeply as it flowed around her ears. She belted another howl. She felt it carry on the wind, letting the world know, she was going home.