This is a story about dogs, but might not be a good fit for the Survivors fandom. If you know of a place that's better for it, please let me know.
Just before the sun began to color the sky one morning in late spring, a bitch with a salt-and-pepper coat woke. She extracted herself from her yellow mate's hug and slipped out of her den.
Her enormous lieutenant was waiting for her in the center of the clearing.
"Do you think it would be safe to send a hunting party to the river, Sterling?" the black-and-tan mastiff asked.
Sterling cocked her head and considered this. "With all the coyote activity, you mean?"
"I guess that's a no."
"It could be a yes if you sent a couple soldiers to escort three huntsdogs. You know as well as I do, Mulberry, that coyotes won't reckon with a group that has burly dogs in it."
Mulberry's eyes brightened. "I could go."
"Going to catch fish?"
"I want to spend time watching every huntsdog. Little Kyra will need a master before we know it."
The leader cut her eyes over to the whelping den where Mulberry's mate had given birth in mid-April. Sterling observed all pups carefully, every day. She knew full well which master she wanted to give Kyra to. Looking back at Mulberry, she only nodded. Maybe he'd have some good insight, too. She'd never known a dog to be so doting over a pup. He wouldn't pick just anyone.
Mulberry went about his business as Sterling perched upon the lip of her cave to watch the pack's activity. By the time the sun had climbed over the treeline, there was scarcely a huntsdog to be seen in the settlement.
Some dogs traveled to new packs when they came of mating age, but the ones who stayed to serve the natal pack grew into talented masters. These masters were responsible for the training of the pack's youth and for leading daily expeditions into the territory. Though rival packs were necessary for genetic diversity, it was important to keep them from encroaching.
Sterling's mate, Saffron, was doing her job despite Kyra and the other pups getting in the way. The leader got up to step in, for Saffron didn't have it in her to be firm.
But the pups had moved on already. It was best, Sterling decided, to let them learn this lesson from a more short-tempered packmate, and she sat back down.
From here on out, Kyra will be the point of view. Thank you for visiting her pack.