The sun was shining over a meadow of rolling hills and tall grasses. Chico stared intently at a point about 50 feet from where he stood. A small breeze was gently pushing the blades of grass back and forth. WAIT, what was that? Was that movement more pronounced than the rest? He stared. The grass moved again. Chico crouched low to the ground, inching forward ever so slightly, his nose twitching slightly. Suddenly with an explosive movement, a mouse burst out of the grass, and…
With a start Chico awoke and jumped to his feet, growling. Slowly, he looked around. Everything looked normal. Where was that mouse? It had to be around here somewhere. He began to sniff around his mom's desk. Nope, it wasn't under the chair. It wasn't under the desk either. Where could that mouse be? He sat and yawned. Wait a minute, could he have been asleep and DREAMED the whole thing? How could he have dreamed it? It was so real. He stretched. Oh well, he'd get that old mouse next time. Better yet, maybe he could even catch one of those nasty cats that kept invading his dreams!
Chico glanced up. As usual, his human mom was busy working on that thing she called a "computer." Figured. Every now and then, she would laugh loudly and say something about "her list" and "those crazy MinPins!" Well, enough of this. It was time for her to notice HIM!
"Woof." He jumped up and knocked against her legs with his front paws. "Mom! Enough of this 'puter thing! I want you to notice me, NOW!"
His mom glanced down. "What's up Chico man? You want to see what I'm doing? Okay. Come here." She leaned down and lifted him up onto her lap.
Chico stared at the strange picture screen in front of him. This wasn't EXACTLY what he had in mind, but it would work, for now. He watched as his mom kept pressing little things on the strange contraption in front of her. He watched as little squiggly lines appeared magically on the screen in front of him. Was she doing that? What was going on?
"Woof?" He asked. "What are you doing, Mom?" He cocked his head to the side, in the hopes that the things in front of him would make more sense. Nope. Maybe if he moved his head to the other side.
His mom laughed, a quiet gentle soothing sound. She scratched his head. "What's wrong, Chico Man? You've seen me type email before! I'm telling Annie, Reagen, Dami, Pepper, Becca, Carrie and the others, all about you and your crazy antics."
Chico reached out and gently nudged the thing his mom had been touching. What did she call that? Oh yeah, a keyboard thingy. He remembered Reagen! He was that tough looking MinPin that all the girls were going goofy-eyed over. Hmmmph. And Annie. His mom had shown him a picture of Annie. NOW there was a girl dog! Oh, that little nubbin tail… He gave his head a little shake. Better not go there! He nudged the keyboard again, a little harder this time.
"CHICO! Stop that. You're messing up my email!"
Chico looked up at the screen. Strange, he had touched one of those little square things and something had appeared right there! Was that how it worked? He reached out again, and this time pressed several square things. Sure enough, the squiggly lines appeared as he pressed the squares.
"CHICO!" His mom was laughing, "ENOUGH, already!" She picked him up and set him down on the floor. "Why don't you go bother Thor for a while? I'm almost done here. Just let me have a couple of minutes more, okay?"
Chico sat for a moment staring up at the screen. Was it his imagination or was that screen moving in a strange way? It almost seemed to be calling to him. What was going on? Hmmmm, maybe his mom was right. Maybe he should go talk to Thor. After all, Thor was older and wiser, even if he was a wussy Doberman. Chico turned and bounded out of his mom's 'puter room and into the living room. Thor was in his usual place, curled up on the couch sucking on his favorite toy.
"Hey Thor, I need to talk to you." Chico sat down in front of Thor and wagged his tail slowly. Thor may have been wussy, but he was still pretty smart.
Thor looked up, the stuffed hedgehog between his paws. "What's up little man?" His voice rumbled.
"Thor, you've been around Mom a lot longer than I have. What do you know about that 'puter thingy she's always workin' on?"
Thor was quiet for a moment. "I don't know much about it, Chico, but from what I have seen, it is a strange and powerful thing. I've heard some of the other animals talking about it down at the Vet's and they say that behind that screen is a strange and wonderful world. I even heard one Toy Poodle claim that she had been there!" He licked his toy. "But, you know how those Poodles are! Always mincing around spreading rumors. Humph. If I was you, Little Man, I'd just stay away from Mom's 'puter. True or not, there's no point in taking chances."
"But Thor, I SAW something! I swear I did. When Mom put me down, I looked up at that screen and it was moving! Like blurry lines, you know?" Chico placed his front paws on the couch next to Thor and gazed seriously at his big brother. "Come on Thor, you've got to help me out here, bud! I've got to find out for myself. You distract Mom, so that she leaves that 'puter thing, while I go check it out. Please?"
Thor sighed heavily. "You won't leave me alone until I do this, will you?" He stood awkwardly on his three good legs. "All right, Little Man. For you, I will do this." Thor jumped heavily to the ground and stood for a moment. "Get ready Chico, you won't have much time, you know."
"Thanks Thor. I owe you big time!" Chico turned and moved back towards his Mom's office. "Go ahead, I'm ready"
Thor watched him for a long moment. "Be Careful, Chico." With that, he turned and ran with a lopsided gait to the front door, barking and growling in a most fearsome manner.
"Thor! What's going on? Is somebody at the door?" Chico's mom came running out of the office.
Quickly, Chico ran over to the computer and jumped up into the chair. Sure enough, the screen in front of him was moving in a strange, almost hypnotic fashion. Almost without realizing what he was doing, Chico reached out slowly with his front paw and touched the glass. He felt a slight tingle and then HIS PAW DISAPPEARED! With a startled YIP, Chico pulled his paw back and looked at it. With a whimper, he licked it. It seemed normal. Everything was there, just like it should be. He looked back at the screen. Suddenly, he realized that he could almost understand what the squiggles on the screen meant. If only he were a little bit closer. The wavy lines were making it difficult. Just a little closer. He touched the screen with his nose. He felt himself falling! For a long moment, there was nothing but blackness and a terrible empty feeling all around him. THHUUUDD. He had stopped falling. For some time, he just lay there, afraid to open his eyes, yet afraid to keep them closed. Had he fallen out of the chair? He became aware of a low, deep humming noise. Somehow, he didn't think he was in his mom's office anymore. Slowly, he opened his eyes. He sat up and stared. What was going on? Nope, he definitely was not at home anymore. In front of him was a large row of windows. Only, instead of seeing trees and sky and his mom's flowers, he saw more squiggles. And behind the squiggles, he could see… PEOPLE! And next to the people he saw… Dogs? Only then, did he realize that he could actually understand the strange squiggles. They were words and the words were saying things. Saying things about him. And Thor. And Annie. And Reagen. And Lancer. And…
Suddenly, Chico knew where he was. He was in the strange land that Thor had been talking about, the world behind the computer screen. And those people and dogs on the other side were his mom's friends. The ones on that list thing she was always talking about. And the dogs. Why, they were his friends, the ones his mom had told him about. Now he understood everything. He gazed intently at one of the windows. Somebody was talking about a cat chase. Only it wasn't really a cat chase, it was A Cyber Cat Chase? Hey, that sounded like fun. Maybe…
His eyes came to rest on one screen. With a start, Chico realized that he was staring at his mom. Letters and words appeared on top of her face.
"Hey, Chico Man. Can you hear me? Are you okay? Chico, where'd you go?" It was Thor, and his deep voice was worried.
Chico moved close to the screen. There was Thor, sitting just behind his mom. "Thor? Is that you? Can you hear me?"
"Chico, where are you? When I came back from barking at the door, you were gone, man! I was so worried!"
"Thor, it's true! There is a whole new world over here. I understand everything now. And Thor, I CAN READ! Did you know we have lots of friends here? And Thor, everyone is talking about a CAT CHASE. Here. In this place. Come on, Thor! You have just got to come over and help me. This sounds like so much fun! We can tell all our new friends how to get here, and…" Chico paused, panting.
"Take it easy, Little Man. Just slow down." Absently, Thor reached up and licked his mom's hand. "I can't just leave Mom, Chico. Who will take care of her?"
Chico paused for a moment. "I know, Thor. I'm gonna miss her, too. But she will be okay. Really, she will." He sat down, raised a back leg and thoughtfully began to scratch an ear. He looked up. "I got it, Thor! I got it!" He jumped up and began to bounce around excitedly. "Once you get over here, we'll just send her a note letting her know that we're okay. I think I see how it can be done."
"I don't know about this, Chico…" Thor rumbled, confusion and indecision in his voice.
"Please, Thor? I really need you, big brother. 'Sides, there are CATS here, Thor. And they're not like Khaymen Kitty! They don't pull mean old sneak attacks when we're not looking. At least, I don't think they do." Chico walked up to the screen and peered intently at Thor through the glass. "Please, Thor? Come join me."
"Well…" Thor looked down at the floor, then back up. "Can I bring my hedgehog with me?" His deep voice was soft and shy.
Chico let his tongue hang out in a doggy smile. "'Course you can!"
"All right, I'll come." He glanced up. "There's just one problem. How am I s'pposed to get past mom? I can't just disappear in front of her. That will freak her out for sure!"
Chico sat back down, stumped. He hadn't thought of that. If they waited for her to get up and leave the room, she would probably turn the 'puter off. If she did that… Chico was aware of a movement in front of him. He looked up. His mom was stretching, her lips moving. He leaned forward, straining to hear her words. It wasn't as easy to hear her, for some reason.
"My goodness, Thor, just look at the time. You and Chico Man must be starved. Come on, let's go get you something to eat." She frowned, looking around. "Where is that little scamp, anyway? Probably off stalking Khaymen Kitty." She got up, stretched and then moved towards the door. "Coming, Thor?"
"WOOF." Thor rumbled deep in his throat. He watched as his mom left the room and then turned back to the computer screen. "Okay, Chico, she's gone. Now what do I do?"
"All you got to do is jump on the chair, put your nose to the 'puter screen and then lean forward." Chico watched as Thor jumped up onto the chair. His face came closer. "That's it, Thor. Now just touch the screen and lean forward." Suddenly, Thor stopped and looked around, panic growing on his face. "Thor! What's wrong?"
"MY HEDGEHOG! I can't leave without my hedgehog!" He jumped down. "I'll be right back, Chico." Thor ran out of the room as fast as his three legs would carry him.
"THOR! Come back!" Chico watched the screen anxiously. He couldn't see the door. How long would it be before his mom came back? Worried, he began to pace back and forth in front of the row of windows.
Suddenly with a deep low growl, Thor came bounding back into view. Gathering himself, he jumped, bypassing the chair and leaping directly into the computer screen. "Oh 'ay Hico, 'ere I 'ome! HIIIIIICOOOOO…"
Chico watched as his brother landed with a ground-shaking thud beside him. "Uh, Thor? I guess I forgot to tell you about that first step." He backed slowly away.
Cautiously, Thor opened one eye and stared at Chico. He let the hedgehog drop from his mouth. "One of these days, Chico, I swear I'm gonna get you!" He opened the other eye, and carefully got to his feet.
"Sorry, Thor. I didn't think you'd just come flying through there like that!" Chico began to turn eyes wide. "Holy Cow, Thor! Will you just look at all this?"
They were in a large round room. For the first time, Chico noticed that the room was dim, the only light coming from the hundreds of "windows" sunk into the walls. Many of the windows were dark and blank, even more were bright with squiggles flowing across their surface. Chico found himself staring at row upon row of windows, as he slowly rotated. There were small windows and large ones, some had faces, while still others simply showed empty rooms. Across the room from where Chico stood was a large door. On the door was a large sign that Chico could read from where he stood. "PRESS HERE TO EXIT TO MEMBER CENTER." Chico sat his tongue out in a light pant. Now what exactly did that mean? What was a "Member Center?" He let his gaze continue around the room. For the first time, Chico noticed a small sign beneath each window. Curious, he stood and walked back to the window that he and Thor had jumped through and gazed intently at the sign.
"N-o-e-l-l-e. Noelle." Chico cocked his head to one side. "Hey Thor, this window has Mom's name on it! Isn't that cool?" Without waiting for an answer, he shifted his gaze to the right side of the window. "Push here to send a message." Chico reached up with his front paw and lightly touched the sign. With a light whirring sound, a small compact keyboard dropped down in front of Chico. He studied it for a moment. Other than being smaller, it was exactly like moms. Now, if only he could remember the right way to do this. Hesitantly, he reached out and touched one of the keys with his paw. A letter appeared on the window in front of him. He looked up, and then pressed another key; another letter appeared. Slowly he began to paw a note to mom.
"Dear Mom – don't worry bout Thor and me. We found this pretty awesome place behind your 'puter screen. We are goin' on a grand 'venture. We are goin' to try and chase cats. Please don't worry. 'Kay? Oh, and please tell all the other mommies and daddies not to worry if their babies just kinda dis'pear, 'kay? They will prolly be with us.
Love, Chico and Thor"
There, that ought to do it. He pressed the button marked "send." For a moment nothing happened, then with a light popping sound, the message disappeared and the keyboard quickly folded back up into the wall. Chico looked around for Thor, and found him lying happily in the middle of the room sucking, once again, on his hedgehog. Chico sighed. Sometimes he wondered about that boy.
"Okay Thor, I sent a note to Mom. She shouldn't worry 'bout us now." He began to circle the room, going from window to window, reading the messages on the screens. "Hey Thor, did you know that we are all involved in a Cyber Cat Chase? That sure sounds like fun, doesn't it? Hey, I got an idea. How 'bout if we tell all these other dogs to come over and join us?"
Thor looked up. "Sounds okay to me, Chico. We're here, might as well have some fun. Now that I think about it, I think I remember mom saying something about another Doberman, and a couple of Rotties. No offense, Chico, but it sure would be nice to have some big dogs to play with. I think I'll go see if I can find them. Now what were their names? Let's see, I think there was Luke, and Lana, and, who was the other guy? August? Augie? Argus? That's it, Argus!" Thor lurched to his feet and began moving away from Chico, peering at each window.
"Yeah, Thor, that sounds good, buddy." Chico answered absently, his eyes glued to a window. "K-R-I-S-T-E-N. Kristen." He murmured to himself. "Kristen. Hey that's Reagen's mom!" He sat down in front of the window. Sure enough, lying on the floor in a patch of sunshine, sound asleep was his old buddy, Reagen. This could be fun. "WOOOF! HEY REAGEN, you lazy old 'pin! WAKE UP!"
With a startled jerk, Reagen jumped to his feet and began to growl his hackles raised. "GRRRRRRRRR. Who are you and what are you doing? Grrrrrrrr."
Chico laughed. "Hey Reagen, it's me, Chico. Over here, through the 'puter screen."
"Whaaaat?" Reagen stared in confusion, as he approached the screen. "Chico? What's going on? Where are you?" Reagen jumped up onto the chair and placed his front paws on the computer desk. Though dazed, he could see Chico clearly. Quickly, Chico told Reagen everything that had happened to him and Thor.
"…And we are going to have a really grand 'venture, 'cause we're going to chase cats, Rea! And you know the best part? Those mean and nasty kitties can't hurt us here!"
Reagen was quiet for a few moments. "Gee, sounds like fun, Chico. Okay, I guess I'll come too!" He probed tentatively at the screen in front of him, and then stepped gracefully to the other side. Shaking himself lightly, he turned to Chico. "So who else is here?"
"Just you, me and Thor so far. But I'm sure we can get more to join us. Ev'erone's been talking about this Cat Chase." Reagen looked around at the windows.
"Wow, this place is pretty cool! Hey look, Chico, there's Annie's place!"
Chico froze. Annie. He'd forgotten all about her and Reagen. How could he have forgotten something like that? He could have had Annie all to himself. He shouldn't have called for Reagen. Slowly, Chico followed his friend. "Uh, Rea? Can we talk about Annie, please?"
But it was too late. Reagen had stopped in front of a window labeled "Tina" and was staring with a rapt expression into the window. "Annie." It came out as a sigh. She was sitting in front of the computer screen, her slender red body poised and graceful. She was more beautiful than he had ever imagined.
"Oh Reagen, there you are! I have been waiting for you ever so long" Her voice was as smooth as velvet.
"You have, Annie? How? I just got here."
"Oh Reagen, you silly 'pin." Her laugh was like a tinkling bell to Reagen's ears. "That's because you were asleep. Why, we've all known what was going on, ever since Chico and Thor jumped across. You see, when Chico touched the screen with his paw, he somehow managed to unlock the door between the worlds.”
Chico looked up in surprise. “I did?”
Annie laughed again. "Of course you did. Now, why don't you boys stand back and let me join you?" A moment later, she was standing in front of Chico and Reagen. "Oh my! That does tingle a bit, doesn't it?"
Reagen moved slowly until he was standing directly in front of Annie. He reached out and let his nose touch hers. Annie's eyes closed briefly as a small shudder passed through her lithe body. "Oh Reagen! You are even more handsome than I could ever have dreamed!"
"And you, my sweet Annie, are indeed a Princess."
Chico watched, a strange feeling settling in his stomach. This was getting out of hand; he'd better do something, quick. "Annie! Hey ANNIE! Over here. Remember me, Chico Man?"
Somehow, Annie managed to tear her eyes away from Reagen. With a small sigh, she turned to look at Chico. "Chico Man. Of course, I know you, silly. I've been watching you ever since you unlocked the door. You are such a sweet thing, you know.”
Reagen glared at Chico. "Annie, he's just a kid!"
"I am not a kid! I am a full-grown MinPin!" Chico growled menacingly.
Annie stepped between them. "Now, boys. I will not tolerate any fighting. Do you understand?" She gazed at first one, then the other, a stern look on her face. "Do you understand me? NO FIGHTING!”
Chico and Reagen continued to stare at each other, neither backing down. Finally, Reagen stepped back. "Okay Annie. Whatever you say."
Annie to turned to Chico. "Chico? Do I have your word as well? No fighting?”
Chico felt himself deflate. "Yeah, sure, Annie." He lowered his head.
"Good. I'm glad that's settled." She looked across the room. "Oh look. I think Thor has found the rest of the group. I see that Lancer and Pepper have managed to get everyone to gather at Aunt Judy's place. Come on." Head held high, she moved off in a graceful trot.
Chico turned to Reagen. "This isn't over, you know." He muttered in a low voice.
"Heeey? Can I help it if she finds me irresistible?" Reagen flipped a cocky smile at Chico and then trotted off to join Annie.
Annie looked back over her shoulder. “Come on, Chico.” It was a command.
Mumbling and growling under his breath, Chico joined the group at a very large window. He stared, his anger at Reagen momentarily forgotten. There, on the other side of the window, were at least 25 dogs. And there, in front, was Pepper.
"Hi ya, Chico! Hey Reagen!" Pepper called out, a mischievous glint in her bright eyes. She turned back to look at Annie. "Lancer and I did as you asked, Annie. We got everybody to come to Aunt Judy's. Boy, she sure has a big place. We've been having a really fun time here, but we're ready to get started. Lancer will be back in a minute. He said he had to go piddle.”
Annie laughed. "Nice job, Pepper. Who all is here?"
Pepper looked behind her. "Well, I'm not sure I know everyone, but we have Snoop, Tupac, Bryce, Ruby, Becca, Tasha, (she's gonna be a mommy, you know!), Nitro, Nick, Pepper (he's a boy), Precious, Sister Bertrille, Blue, Mickie, (he brought chicky necks!), and oh yeah, there's Luke (he's a Doberman), Lana and Argus (you know, the Rotties from a place called 'Stralia?)" Pepper paused. "Oh, and Annie? We have a couple of kitties here with us. But, don't worry, they are GOOD kitties! We all like them. They promised to help us, and they even took the MinPin Oath of Honor!" She peered anxiously through the window at Annie. "That's okay, isn't it?"
"They took the Oath of Honor? Well, I guess it will be okay. Who are the kitties?"
"Maggie Cat. She came with Keegan, KC, Mckaylah and Espresso. Then, there is Jazzy Cat. He's with Bryce."
Annie thought for a moment. "Well, okay. But they have to behave themselves, or we start chasing them, too!" She turned. "Chico and Reagen, please help Pepper bring everyone over. Oh and please keep an eye on Tasha." Her eyes found Thor. "Thor? Would you mind taking a walk with me?"
"Not at all, Annie. It would be my pleasure."
Together, they moved towards the door. For a long moment, Annie was silent.
"How are you feeling, Thor? Are you doing okay? I've heard about your problems."
Thor stopped and looked down at Annie, his gaze meeting hers. "And you want to know if I can do this?"
Annie's eyes remained steady. "Yes, Thor, that's exactly what I'm asking. I know how much you love to chase cats, but I can't allow it, if it is going to hurt you."
He was quiet. "You know, Annie, I've thought about the same thing, ever since Chico brought me here." He sat. "And you know what? I feel good, Annie. Really good! The pain is gone, and I'm not tired all the time. Other than the fact that I'm missing a leg, I can honestly tell you that I haven't felt this good in a very long time!"
"I am so glad to hear that, Thor." She looked back at the growing crowd of animals. A sad look crossed her face. It happened so quickly, however, that Thor thought he had simply imagined it. "I have a funny feeling about all this, Thor."
"What's that, Annie?"
"I don't know. I just have this strange feeling that this is going to be so much more than just a cat chase." She looked back at Thor, her gaze serious. "I have a feeling that I...uh...we are going to need you very much, before all this is done." Suddenly she shook herself. "Well, enough of that! I wonder how we are going to get out of here and find all these mean and nasty kitties to chase?"
"Don't worry about that, Annie. While Chico and Reagen were falling all over themselves trying to impress you, I was figuring out how that door works." There was a hint of laughter in his deep voice.
Annie chuckled. "Yes, that was pretty cute, wasn't it? So tell me, Thor, how do we get out of here?"
Thor looked over at the group behind Annie. "Hey Chico, is everybody here?"
"Yes, Thor, everyone is here. Lancer was the last one, and he's here now." Chico called out.
"Good! Okay everybody, listen up." Thor's voice was loud and commanding. "Here's what we need to do. See that door? I want all of you to follow Annie and me through the door. Stay close to us, okay? Once we are all through, according to the instructions I read there should be a map. We will use that map to find where the mean and nasty cats hang out. And then…" His voice rose to a roar. "WE CHASE CATS!" With that, Thor turned and moved towards the doorway, a cacophony of barks and growls behind him. When he reached the door, he raised a paw and pressed a large square button in the middle of the door. Slowly, it opened.
And thus our group, led by Thor, Annie, Reagen and Chico embarked upon the start of a Grand Adventure.
Chapter 2 - Cat Chase
Lancer stretched luxuriously in the grass, and yawned. What a day. Upon leaving the place called “Member Center”, Thor had led them down a strange highway with blue lights along the side. After a short distance, he had made a turn and led them to a door marked CAT MEADOWS. The place was a doggy dream come true. Amid the rolling hills and green grasses, were more cats than one could ever imagine. After a moment of stunned silence, everyone took off after the cats. Even Annie had joined in. Lancer smiled to himself as he remembered the sight of the ladylike Annie chasing after a large black cat. He had been standing next to Chico and Reagen, when Annie had pinned the cat and then unceremoniously piddled on it. As the cat slunk away in humiliation, Annie had kicked daintily at the dirt with her back paws, and then with a gentle smile had moved on to find another victim. The three of them had stared after her, shocked.
“Are you awake, Lancer?”
A pleasant feminine voice interrupted his thoughts. Rolling over on his back, he looked up to find Pepper staring down at him. “Hi, Pepper. Yep, I’m awake. What are you up to?”
Pepper sat down. “You know, chasing cats, ‘ploring this place, trying to figure out who all is here.”
With a quick rolling movement, Lancer was back on his stomach. He rose, shook himself briskly, and then sat, gazing intently at Pepper. She sure had pretty eyes. “So, have you?”
“Have I what?”
“Figured out who is here, silly.” He really wanted to lean over and lick her ear.
“Yeah, for the most part.” Pepper frowned slightly and looked over Lancer’s shoulder. “I pretty much know everyone, except those two ‘Pins over there.” She pointed over Lancer’s shoulder with her nose.
Lancer looked back over his shoulder. A short distance away he saw two MinPins, standing next to each other. The black and tan male was large and had a muscular look to his trim body. The red female was smaller, more compact, and yet still attractive, in an odd sort of way. Lancer’s brow furrowed for a moment. Hmmm, there was something familiar about the little female, but he couldn’t quite place what it was. Where had he seen her before? Could it have been on his mom’s computer screen? Oh well, it would come to him. He turned back to Pepper.
“I don’t have any idea who they are.” He studied her. “Why?”
Pepper was silent for a moment. “Oh, I don’t know, Lancer. I guess because I don’t know where they came from.” She looked around at the various groups of dogs scattered across the meadow. “I know where most everyone else came from and I know who their mommies and daddies are. But those two…” Her voice trailed off.
“Then let’s go find out, Pepper.” Lancer stood. “Come on. Let’s go ask them.” Together, they walked up to the unknown dogs. Lancer was the first to speak.
“Hi! I’m Lancer and this is Pepper.” He sat and let his tongue hang out in a silly grin.
The black male gazed back at them steadily for a few moments before speaking. Pepper felt her hackles raise ever so slightly. There was something spooky about the way he was looking at them. She suppressed the urge to growl and back away.
“I’m Tyrone, and my friend here is Renny.” He finally answered. There was a strange gravelly quality to his voice. The little red female looked faintly embarrassed.
“Well, hey, we’re glad you’re here. Aren’t we Pep?”
“Um, yeah, Lancer. We’re glad.” Pepper looked at Renny. “I’ve never seen you before. Which human belongs to you?”
Tyrone answered before Renny could speak. “What difference does it make? We saw you gettin’ this thing organized, and decided to join you. Didn’t know we had to have our humans’ permission.” There was a faint belligerent look in his eyes.
“Well, no, I guess it doesn’t really matter. Just kinda curious, that’s all. Glad you’re here. See ya around.” Pepper began to back away slowly. “Come on, Lancer. Let’s go find a cat to chase.” She turned and quickly walked away.
Puzzled, Lancer looked after her, and then back at the other two. “Well, gee, um, it sure was nice meetin’ you, Tyrone and Renny. Hope we get to piddle on some cats together.”
“Yeah, you too.”
Lancer stood and ran after Pepper. “Hey Pepper! Pepper! Wait up, will ya?” He finally caught up with her. “Pepper! What was that all about? Why were you so rude?” He asked panting.
Pepper looked back towards Tyrone and Renny. They had disappeared into the trees. Sitting down, she looked back at Lancer, her eyes somber. “Oh, Lancer, I don’t know. There was just something about them, especially that Tyrone. He just gave me the creeps!” A small shudder passed through her slightly pudgy body. “I didn’t like either one of them!”
Lancer moved closer to her. Tentatively he reached out and gently licked her ear. “It’s okay, Pepper, I’ll ‘tect you, okay?”
Pepper met his gaze, but before she could say anything, they were interrupted by sounds of exuberant barking. Turning, they looked around.
“Lancer, HEY LANCER!” A small red puppy ran up to Lancer. Unable to stop he plowed into Lancer’s legs, bowling him over.
“STRABOS! What are you doing here? I thought I told you to stay home with Mom!” Lancer growled crossly.
“Ah, Lancer, I wanted to chase cats too! ‘Sides, Mom told YOU to take care of me. You can’t do that if you’re here and I’m there.” Strabos looked over at Pepper. “Hi! My name is Strabos. Who are you?”
Pepper smiled. Puppies, you just had to love them. “Hi Strabos. I’m Pepper.”
“PEPPER! Oh, so you’re the girl that Lancer has the hots for!”
Lancer lunged at Strabos and knocked him over. Standing on his chest, he leaned menacingly into Strabos' face. “Strabos you little runt! I’m gonna send you home…”
Pepper started laughing. “Lancer, let him up. He’s just a kid!”
Strabos struggled unsuccessfully to push Lancer off of him. “I’m not either a kid!” He protested. “I’m eight months old! I’m ‘most a grown dog! Lancer, let me go!” He nipped at Lancer’s lowered face and connected. With a startled yip, Lancer jumped back.
“Why you little turd, YOU BIT ME!” With a deep growl, Lancer lowered his head and gathered himself for another run at Strabos.
“Only ‘cause you wouldn’t let me go!” Strabos eyed his older brother warily. “I didn’t mean nuthin’ by it, Lancer. Honest, I didn’t!”
“Well…” With an effort, Lancer pulled back and sat down. “I still think you need to go home.” He growled.
“Ah, come on Lancer, let me stay, please? I promise I’ll be good!” Strabos’ small tail was wagging slowly back and forth, his eyes pleading. “Please, Lancer?” A glint of mischief appeared in his eyes. “’Sides, I found a really big kitty for you to chase! That’s what I was comin’ to tell you.”
“Well…” Lancer hesitated.
Pepper glanced around. The group was starting to return from the day’s chasing activities. She looked back at Lancer. “Let him stay, Lancer. Besides, he’s not the only puppy here. He’ll have Espresso, Harley Ann, Nitro and Cookie to play with. We’ve got more than enough adults here. How much trouble can they really get into?”
Lancer wavered. How could he resist those big brown eyes? He sighed. “Oh all right. You can stay, Strabos.” Lancer paused. “But, you better stay out of trouble, do you hear me? ‘Cause if you don’t, I WILL send you back home!”
“YIPPPEEE! Hey Harley Ann! Lancer says I can stay!”
For the first time Pepper noticed a small black puppy sitting quietly in the background. She walked over to her and gently nudged her with her nose. “Harley Ann, does your daddy know you’re here?”
Harley Ann looked up at Pepper. “I dunno. I s’pose he does. He told me to go play.” She stood and ran over to stand next to Strabos. “Come on, Strabos. We’ve got to show Lancer the kitty. Hurry, or he’ll get away.”
Lancer’s irritation at Strabos was forgotten. His ears perked up. “Cat? Where? I haven’t been able to catch any of these pesky cats since I’ve been here! Show me the kitty! Grrrrrr.”
“Follow me!” With that, Strabos bounded off, Harley Ann next to him.
Pepper shook her head as she watched Lancer take off after the two pups. Before she could follow, Annie walked up, followed closely by Chico and Reagen. Pepper acknowledged her with a small nod of her head. “Hi Annie.”
“Hi Pepper. What’s going on? I heard quite a commotion over here.”
“I think Lancer’s a little upset ‘cause Strabos decided to come along.” Pepper explained. “I don’t think he likes his brother very much.”
“Don’t worry about Lancer, Pepper. He’ll come around, in time. Lancer’s just not used to the ways of puppies.” Annie’s eyes were following the chase. “Oh Lord. What has that boy gotten himself into now?”
Pepper turned to see what Annie was looking at. At first all she saw was Lancer, running full speed after a large black cat. She frowned. There was something really strange looking about that cat. It didn’t move like any of the cats she had seen so far. It had a long chubby body, with very short legs, small head, and a large, bushy tail. There were two wide white stripes running down its back, from the head to the very end of the tail. Even as Pepper watched, Lancer took a running jump and landed on top of the “cat”.
“HEY PEPPER! I got one! I got a CAT!” Lancer called out loudly. “Quick, come help me! Boy this cat really stinks! I need HELP!”
Before Pepper or Annie could say anything, two other dogs came running out of the crowd.
“Here we come, Lancer! You just hold that nasty cat. We’re coming to help you, buddy!”
“Hurry, guys! This cat is PEEING on me, and boy does it smell bad! Pepper! You gotta come help me”
Annie looked at Pepper. “Uh oh. I think we may have a problem here. Who are those other two? Do you know?”
Pepper tried to get a glimpse. “I think it’s Dutchy and Taz.” She wrinkled her nose as a terrible, pungent odor began to waft across the meadow. She sneezed. “No Way, Lancer!” She called out. “I am not going near there. Get away from that thing, right now!” The odor was getting stronger. “What have you boys gotten yourselves into? Phewwwww.” She began to back away. “Annie, tell them to get away from that thing!”
Annie was right beside her. “Oh dear. What is that animal anyway?” She sneezed. “What a horrible smell!”
By now the whole group had gathered and was watching the battle between the three dogs and the strange looking cat. Finally, with a huge effort, the “cat” managed to extricate itself. Hissing and snarling threats at the three dogs, it lumbered off into the trees. For a long moment, Lancer watched it, debating weather he should give chase. With a quick shake, he decided to let it go. He had really piddled on that cat! Followed by Dutchy and Taz, he made his way back towards the group.
“Stop, right there, all of you!” Annie’s voice was loud and commanding. “You boys STINK!”
Lancer sniffed the air. He looked over at Dutchy and Taz. “She’s right. You guys really smell!”
They looked back at him, sniffing. “We ain’t the only ones, Lancer. You don’t smell so good either.” Taz backed away followed by Dutchy.
Lancer’s ears drooped. He looked over at the group. “Ah, come on guys! How was I s’posed to know that mean old cat was going to piddle back?”
Bertrille forced her way through the crowd, a look of disdain on her pretty face. “LANCER, YOU TWIT! Don’t you know a skunk when you see one?”
Lancer looked back at her, head and ears drooping even lower. How embarrassing. “What’s a skunk?” The sound of childish laugher caught his attention. Turning, he saw Strabos and Harley Ann rolling on the ground. “Strabos?”
“Oh Lancer, how funny! You were right, Harley Ann! Lancer doesn’t even know what a cat looks like, let alone a skunk!” Strabos’ words came out choked. “Oh, Oh, Oh.”
Lancer had had enough. With a deep growl, he ran towards Strabos. Before Strabos knew what was happening, Lancer had him pinned to the ground once again. “That’s it, Strabos! I’ve had enough of you. You’re going home now!”
“Pheww. Lancer, you stink! Get off of me.”
“I’ve had all that I can take of you, you little twerp!” Angrily, Lancer picked Strabos up by the scruff of the neck, and began to drag him towards the doorway.
Squealing and yipping, Strabos tried to squirm his way out of Lancer’s grip. “Lancer, it was just a joke! How was I supposed to know you’d actually catch that skunk? You haven’t caught a cat since you’ve been here!”
Lancer reached the doorway, and pushed a button with his paw. A window opened with a pop. Glancing in, he saw the MEMBER CENTER that they had just vacated. Strange, he had just been thinking about how to get Strabos back to that very place. Dismissing the thought, he pushed Strabos through the window. Strabos landed with a hard thud on the other side.
“Lancer…” There was a hint of tears and a plea in Strabos’ voice. “Please don’t send me home. I want to come with you. I promise I’ll be good”.
For a long moment, Lancer stared back at his little brother. “Go home, Strabos.” He said finally, a heavy tone to his voice. “I don’t want you here. You’re nothing but a little trouble maker.”
“Laaaannnncccerrrrr.”
Lancer reached up and pushed the button again. The window closed. With a shake, he turned around and trotted back to the group. Remembering Annie’s earlier admonition, Lancer stopped a short distance away.
“Okay, I’m ready! Come on, let’s….” His voice trailed off. The entire group of animals was watching him, very somber and very quiet. “What?”
For a long moment, no one spoke or moved. Finally Annie stepped forward. “Why did you do that, Lancer? Strabos was only having fun. There was no need to be like that.” Her voice was full of reproach.
Lancer stared back at her. “But Annie, you saw what he did to me! Strabos has been causing problems for me ever since he arrived at my mom’s house. He’s always taking my treats and toys. He’s been getting me into all kinds of trouble!” There was a stubborn tilt to his head. “I don’t want a pesky little brother following me all over the place! Besides, he’s MY brother. He has to do what I tell him.”
Annie watched him, finally shaking her head. “I must say that I am very disappointed in you, Lancer. You have a lot to learn. Strabos adores you and looks up to you. I certainly hope you don’t come to regret what you just did.” She turned and started moving back towards the group. “There’s a stream over on the other side of the meadow. Go take a bath, Lancer.” To the rest of the group: “It looks like the sun is starting to go down. Why don’t we find a nice place to spend the night.”
Lancer watched as the group slowly moved to follow Annie. Pepper was the last to go. “Pepper…” He pleaded. Surely, she understood.
“Annie was right, you know. What you did to Strabos was mean.” With a final look, she turned and ran after the rest of the group.
For a long time he simply sat and watched as his friends began to settle in for their first night in this strange New World. Finally, with a long sigh and ears drooping, he turned and moved slowly to find the stream.
Chapter 3 – Renny
Renny peeked out of a gap in the bushes and watched enviously as the animals settled down for the night. She wanted so much to be out there with them. She wondered what it would feel like to be included and to actually have friends. She sighed. Why did she have to be so shy? Maybe she could just wander over there and say hi. That might not be too bad. She took a tentative step forward.
“Renny.”
She froze. She hadn’t heard Tyrone approaching. She turned guiltily and looked back at him. “Yes, Tyrone?”
“Where do you think you’re going?” He asked.
“Well, uh, I… um, I was just going to, uh… say hello to everyone over there.” Renny found herself stumbling over her words, and hated it. Sometimes Tyrone made her feel so awkward.
“Why?”
“Well, um, because, I… uh, because, I thought those two, uh, Lancer and Pepper, seemed really nice.” Renny looked up, as Tyrone seemed to tower over her. “I just wanted to make friends with them, Tyrone.” She whispered.
Tyrone looked down at her, his eyes softening ever so slightly. “Renny, you have me. You don’t need those other animals. I’m so much smarter than they are. I can take you places in this world that you’ve never even imagined before. I may be a young dog, but I’ve done a lot for being only two years old.”
“I know, Tyrone, and I really ‘preciate you bringing me here. Really I do!” Renny sighed. “It’s just that…”
“Those animals aren’t as nice as they seem, Renny. I’ve heard them talking, you know.”
“You have?” Renny was puzzled. “When?”
Tyrone walked over to the thicket he had found earlier and lay down in a patch of sunshine. “Couple of hours ago, while you were sleepin’. They were chasin’ those stupid cats. I heard the one called Annie tell that dufus Doberman, Thor, to keep an eye out for us.” He watched her carefully, trying to judge how his words were being taken. “Annie said we were “outsiders” and not part of their little group”. He allowed disdain to creep into his voice. “If you’re not part of their circle of special people, you just don’t belong.”
Renny was quiet. “But Tyrone, That’s not how Pepper and Lancer seemed! They were nice!”
Tyrone snorted. “Don’t be so naïve, Renny! Didn’t you see how that Pepper ran off? They didn’t want us to join them. They simply wanted us to come along so they could make fun of us!”
Renny’s ears drooped. Could it really be true? Tyrone had a point; Pepper had just run off with Lancer following. Besides, no one else had even bothered to come over and greet them. They really were too busy with themselves and that stupid cat chase. She joined Tyrone, and curled up next to him in the warm patch of sunshine. She laid her head on her paws and sighed.
“Don’t worry, Renny. I’ll take good care of you.” There was a satisfied smirk on Tyrone’s face. “You don’t need them. I’m the only friend you need.”
