He tried his best to keep his head held high and his walk proud, but hope was fading away by the day.
The fresh air of the farm was lost to him. He could hardly remember the sound of the rooster letting out it's call, signalling the start of a new day.
Deedro was always a helpful dog. He took pride in the work he did on the farm- rounding up the sheep at the end of each day, guarding all of the livestock every night, killing any rat who dared try and eat the fresh produce, all that and anything else his owner could throw at him. He and the old man had never been particularly close, but they had a mutual understanding with one another. Work in exchange for food. The understanding they had was so good, that he allowed his girlfriend to stay on the farm.
The two of them shouldn't be here now. All hungry and dirty.
It was a night like any other. Deedro had his mind full while patrolling. He had just wished the cows a goodnight. They kept him held up for longer than he would have liked, rambling on about all the noise the sheep would make at a certain time of the day. Yes, he considered it his duty to talk to and listen to the various animals, but some of their complaints were beyond ridiculous.
He looked to Pepper next to him, she was shivering and he immediately curled up closer to her. There was no way he could lose her, not now...
The broken wagon which he and Pepper usually slept on wasn't far. He never had a fixed sleeping spot, but had come to like the wagon. The old man had noticed and left a handful of old, but comfortable rags for them to use as blankets. He wanted to get back to her quickly. He hated leaving Pepper alone. She bluntly told him that she could look after herself, but he didn't want to take any chances.
"...I'm pregnant..." The words rang in his head as her shivers died down.
His own, nervous shivers had rolled up his spine when he saw that she was not where she would usually be sleeping. He ran around the wagon frantically trying to pick up a scent, a trail...she smelled distinct. He could pick her out among many others.
Puppies shouldn't have to be born in a place like this, he had seen Polly. The poor dog. Living in constant fear for her young ones.
Her scent led to the corn maze and he could remember calling out her name. That was his first mistake, attracting attention to himself. His second mistake? Failing to acknowledge the other scents mingled with hers'.
A yawn cut through the deafening silence that surrounded the two weak dogs. He was tired, could feel his eyes sagging.
Suddenly heavy footsteps came from behind. He whirled around, but it was too late. The white flash that he caught was on top of him in an instant. Senselessly assaulting him to the point of near unconsciousness. The sound of Pepper's cries rang in the background.
His eyes threatened to come closer to closing.
In his state he could barely do much. They passed through a hole in the gate, an oversight in his duties. He blinked rapidly, found that his vision was still blurry. He was being carried. A blue pair of eyes flashed before him quickly. The word 'unity' was being muttered over and over. He didn't know what to make of anything.
He closed his eyes then. Too tired to keep them open. The stench of the junkyard permeated his nose, while he fell into a miserable sleep next to his love.
