Steele was woken up early by the sounds and smells of his owner cooking in the kitchen. Considering the fact that his owner rarely cooked, curiosity compelled Steele to look into this. He leapt down from the bed and walked into the kitchen. He flicked up his ears in surprise when he saw his owner put chopped sausages into his food bowl rather than dry dog food. His owner looked up at him with a sad forced smile.
"I made you a special breakfast, Steele. Enjoy," he said before he stepped outside. Steele remained in place for a moment and watched him go before he went over to the food bowl. Although the food was delicious, he was still aware that something wasn't right. After he had finished, he went into his bed and lay down to rest. Not long after, he heard talking outside. He stood up and flicked his ears curiously and walked to the door. He identified the voice of his owner, but also that of another man. Someone he didn't know.
"Thank you for such a generous offer on Steele. He's a good dog. I'm sure you will like him," his owner said. The other man was quick to respond.
"I look forward to meeting him," the other man said enthusiastically. Steele stepped back as the door opened and the two men entered. The visitor's gaze quickly focused on the canine.
"He is a handsome fellow, isn't he? Quite strong by the looks of him. He would make a perfect addition to my team in the next town," the man remarked cheerfully as he studied Steele. His owner nodded lightly in agreement. The two men then walked to the table and spoke with each other for a moment. When their conversation seemed to be over, his owner got Steele's leash and handed to the other man. The man smiled and handed his owner a stack of green paper. Steele's eyes widened in recognition. Money. He now knew what was happening. This other man was buying him and was going to take him away from his owner and home. Fear, an emotion rarely felt by Steele, gripped him and he frantically looked around for some escape. Steele whimpered and went under his owner's chair. His owner sighed then leaned down and clipped the leash on his collar before he handed it back to the man. He then leaned down so he was face level with Steele and gently stroked one of his ears.
"Goodbye Steele. Be good," his owner said softly before he stood back up. The other man looked at Steele with a warm smile and gently tugged at the leash. Steele reluctantly followed the man outside of the door of the house. What had he done wrong? Why did he have to leave? The man stopped at the truck then opened the back before he leaned down and placed his hand gently on Steele's back.
"Alright Steele. Time to go to your new home," the man said happily. Steele sat down defiantly and glared off in another direction. The man chuckled softly then picked Steele up and placed him in the bed of the truck.
"No need to be upset big guy. You will like your new home. I promise," the man encouraged as he tied the leash to a notch in the truck to prevent Steele from getting out. He then closed up the back then got into the truck and began to drive. Steele sighed and looked at his previous home as it faded out of view. He knew that he would probably never see it or his old owner again. He pulled his head back and tugged at the leash, but it didn't have any effect. Feeling defeated, he grunted lightly and opted to sleep. His rest didn't last long before the truck was stopped. He shifted into a sitting position and glanced around. The truck was parked and the man was filling it with gas. Steele flicked his ears as a plan crossed his mind. Maybe this was his opportunity to escape. He spotted the start of a forest a short distance away. It might be the same one he and his team had journeyed in before. Then again, even if it wasn't, he was willing to take his chances. He growled lowly as he braced himself to leap toward freedom. Once he had backed up as far as he could, he ran and leapt over the side of the truck. Unfortunately, the leash didn't come loose and he remained suspended in the air next to the truck, back paws barely touching the ground. He whimpered loudly and struggled to get loose. The man turned and saw Steele then gasped and hurried over.
"Steele! What on earth are you doing? You could have killed yourself!" the man exclaimed with worry. He reached out to help Steele, but Steele growled loudly and struggled more.
"Steele, easy there, you're alright," the man said gently. He tentatively tried to reach again, but Steele began to thrash more, trying his hardest to get loose. Finally, he pulled as hard as he could and fell on his back. His collar was left hanging on the leash that remained attached to the truck. He was free. He quickly stood up and shook off his fur then turned and ran rapidly into the forest, ignoring the man's calls.