Who is the third who walks always beside you?
When I count, there are only you and I together
But when I look ahead up the white road
There is always another one walking beside you
- T.S. Eliot, The Waste Land
-.-.-
"Hey, Rocks?"
"Mhmm?" the mutt mumbled, lazily looking up at Chase from a spot underneath his favorite tree.
"You all good? I'm really sure Zuma didn't mean to yank you into the water earlier, he-"
"Chase, just please don't," Rocky huffed. Earlier that day, the pups were playing a bit of frisbee at the beach. Naturally, Marshall found a way to let his clumsiness overshadow himself. Zuma wrapped his paws around Rocky's waist and hoisted him back to avoid a classic wipeout, only for both of them to stumble backward into the beach. Needless to say, Rocky wasn't exactly pleased with his best friend for soaking him - intentionally or not. Chase was sure that sooner or later, he'd find them chumming it up like old pals again.
"Hey, you know what we ought to do?" Chase asked, getting behind Rocky and trying nudge him away from the tree. "Let's play tug of war. Huh? C'mon, let's go -"
"We did that yesterday," Rocky scoffed, getting up and already trying to avoid the German Shepherd.
"Well... okay, still. Let's do something. I'm bored out of my mind!"
"And you're coming to me, because...?"
"Well, Skye's napping."
"And?"
"Marshall's kinda busy embarrassing himself at Pup Pup Boogie."
"And...?"
"Zuma's watching."
"And Rub -"
"Look, Rocky, you're all I got. Just... humor me, at least. Pretend to wanna do something."
"Oh, you're absolutely right, Chase. There's one thing I wanna do. I wanna go back to my pup house and-"
"Come on!" Chase encouraged, taking Rocky's tail in his teeth and dragging him to the nearby woods.
"Hey! Whoa! Hey-ey-ey-hey! Hey, this is very unnecessary!"
When the two pups made it into a clearing encroached by trees and hills (only one there by choice), Chase released Rocky.
"Ugh, what is your problem? Here I am, trying to relax, and you just-"
Chase placed a paw over Rocky's mouth, shushing him. "Look," he whispered, bobbing his head to their left. Turning his head, Rocky sight fell upon a doe; she was slender and quiet, like a branch in the wind. With her stood two fawns, drinking from the nearby stream and nudging their mother's legs every so often. All three of them possessed a dirty brown hide with white speckles across their backsides. They weren't spooked by the sudden appearance of two pups, quite unaware of how loud they were being.
"Rocky, Bella, nice to finally introduce you two," Chase mumbled, grinning to himself.
"When did...?"
"Little bit after Ryder adopted me. We were hanging out at the Lookout one day, and then this little fawn just wanders by, limping."
"Limping?" Rocky whispered, turning to face his friend.
"Yeah, must've run away from a hunter, I guess. Anyway, Ryder managed to get her over to the Lookout, and we spent a few weeks nursing her, feeding her and whatnot. I wanted to keep her."
"That didn't exactly roll with Ryder, huh?"
"No hooves policy," Chase chuckled. "But yeah, we got real close to her, and she's been stopping by ever since."
"And the hunters?" Rocky asked, the brown orbs of his eyes shooting towards Chase.
"Hmm?"
"The hunters. Was anything done about them? You ever find out who...?"
Chase lowered his head and sighed.
"Ryder put in a word to Mayor Goodway, but she couldn't really do anything. With this already being illegal hunting grounds and all."
"Couldn't have been more strict about the law?"
"It's Goodway we're talking about here. You give her too much credit."
Rocky scoffed, his gaze wandering back towards the deer. "Anyone else know about her?"
"Yeah, Marshall. The others keep getting sidetracked whenever I try to bring them to see her."
"Huh." Rocky gazed up, noticing the sun starting to set. The orange and pinkish hues of the sky swirled together like paint on a breathtaking canvas. "I guess we'd better head back."
"Yeah, c'mon."
The Shepherd and his companion strolled through the densely wooded area, their tails beginning to wag as they picked up lighter conversations. Had they stayed for only an hour longer, something would have been made much clearer later on. Things soon would have made more sense. They'd have witnessed an abominable act, frowned upon by one the the Divine. But perhaps it was best they didn't; no one could bear the sight and think not to themselves: why?
-.-.-
"I was starting to worry about you two," Zuma said as Chase and Rocky approached the Lookout.
"Yeah," Rubble chimed in, "Skye was starting to think you guys were never gonna come back. Figured you were probably out there kissin' or something."
"What? Pfft. The nerve," Chase mumbled, somewhat disgusted by the thought. He walked in, plopping himself down onto a beanbag.
"Wh-why would we be doing something like th-that?" Rocky asked, his face flushed. "You guys know I'm not into that. Relationships, I mean."
"Yeah, besides. Chase already has the hots for a certain someone else," Zuma grinned.
"Oh, shut up, I do not."
"Dude, you can not be real with me, can you? Just the other day, I saw you staring at Skye when she was getting ready to head to the mountains."
"Oh, yeah," Rubble said, nodding in agreement. "She was going to Everest's, and you kept offering to go with her. Man, you looked so upset. She may as well have rejected you right there and then."
"Do you guys ever shut up?" Chase asked, his tone growing harsh. "Zuma, don't get me started on the whole Liberty dilemma."
"Th-that was only three times," Zuma stammered, his bravado quickly crumbling. "At least I didn't steal her bathing cap."
Chase glanced up at the chocolate Labrador, his face etching with annoyance. "Once and you're scarred for life."
The conversation was cut short by Ryder emerging from the elevator with Marshall and Skye. "Hey, pups. I just wanted to ask you all something."
Zuma and Rubble looked at their leader attentively. Rocky didn't seem particularly interested, sitting on his haunches to scratch his ear. Chase remained on the beanbag, looking up at his leader. "Yes, Ryder sir?"
"Who wants to take a vacation day tomorrow?"
"Wait, what?!" Skye asked, exclaiming with surprise. Even Rocky suddenly burst from his bored frame.
"A vacation day, Ryder sir?" Chase stood from the beanbag, eyes widening incredulously. "That's unprecedented! We haven't had one in years."
"Well, we haven't had a mission in weeks. I figured it wouldn't hurt. We'd still be in contact with Mayor Goodway if anything went wrong."
Chase nodded. "Where would we even go?"
"Well, I'm thinking we should agree now, while we can."
"We haven't seen the bay in a while, I guess," Zuma suggested. "Unless the Sea Patroller still needs repairs?"
Ryder seemed to think for a moment, before nodding softly. "We'll see. Any oppositions?"
"I'm down," Marshall said, tail wagging.
"Me too," Rubble nodded eagerly.
"Me three," Skye chirped merrily.
"I'll be okay," Rocky shrugged. "Just don't let me get wet. Please." Turning to Zuma he gave a playful shout as he tackled him. The water pup fell to his back with a grunt. "I ask so little of you!" Rocky exclaimed in a spirited mood. "Promise! Please!"
"Okay! Okay," Zuma chuckled, pushing his friend off.
As the night began to wear on, the pups and their owner spoke more eagerly of this exciting trip they earned a chance to embark upon. They did not know what would truly await them the next day, or what darkness had already begun to encroach the innocent joy they sought to bring each other.