[center][h3][color=OrangeRed]Short Novel Chapters[/color][/h3][/center]

[hider=Chapter 1 – The Beginning of a Nightmare] 
 My life was about the change, nothing was ever going to be the same. I doubted everything I knew, was my mind playing tricks on me. Finally, my mind caved in to the pain that shot through my left ear, I yelped loud, the fractured wood of the underside of the porch dug its ragged edges into the recently scabbed over left ear edge.

 The warm red discharge ran down the side of my face landing on my paw as I shook my head. My half ear flopping as the blood flew off it painting the dry land and wooden planks above me. Flattening my ears as a sudden stench of trespassing mutts filled my nostrils; I shifted, pulling my brown stained white paws into the compacted space beneath me. The sunlight beaming through the planks above me was highlighting the sapphire eyes that glared out onto the sunny land, the heat waves hiding the blurry figures moving towards the homestead.

 The orange splash of fur and waves made its way towards the estate, a larger grey figure in tow as I raised my head as high as I could and watched closely. The heatwaves dying off, they got closer and closer. Tensing tightly the bridge of my nose tightened in disgust at the scent of intruders. I shook my head a filthy sneeze escaped as I ruffled the bluish black fur coating my back. I was in a foul mood and this wasn't going to improve it, the young teasing female trying to bring fights for her. Neither fascinated nor captivated as I stayed quiet and remained under the porch of Fern’s house. Before I knew it the orange fuzz ball of energetic vibes laid in front of me her paws extending, at arm’s length pawing the air towards me.

 I pulled up my lip baring the well sharpened, yellowed k-9’s, my eyes scanned her over, she was kind, playful, young and friendly, I loathed her. The grey wolf behind her keeping his distance, obvious reasons as I realized the rumbling growl rising in my chest, it raced up through my throat and emerged as my tongue slipped its way between my fangs licking my nose leaving a slobbery gleam upon it. Poor Ali continued her game pawing and pawing the air until she bopped my nose and I snapped, something hit me and my jaws spread, the saliva forming webs from top jaw to bottom as I snarled, letting it shatter and echo grabbing at her paw as she recoiled it quickly.

 Her horror struck eyes met with mine, the cringing whimper of the male behind her reached my ears as I bluffed a charge forward sending dirt flying out from under the porch Ali retreated, I wasn't the reason she was here, echoing gripes and unhappy grunts emerged from the house floor boards. I was lucky, I didn't get locked inside, and I hid under the porch to keep some freedom. Balto was inside smashed, stunned, and dead to the world visibly out of it as he tossed and turned. I myself could hear him whining, running in his sleep, squishing Fern who was as lifeless as a log.

 I returned my focus to Ali and Buster, the grey wolf stood eyeing me as Ali pranced around him teasing him, her tail raised, ears perked and whiny gripes grabbing his attention as they began playing chase around the yard. I was repulsed and uninterested. Eventually I pulled myself to the inner edge of the porch step and poked my head out, visibly snapping the air, my teeth clashing together as they rebounded, the saliva flew each which way imaginable, the strident, deliberate, attention grabbing barks, causing Ali and Buster to halt in their trails, two sets of eyes on me. I felt it.

 I for one heard the unsettling cry of my brother whose ears had picked up the inappropriate fit in which I was pitching. A dense gust blew up the dust the shrilling shrieks as it squeezed its way through the rough unfixed window sill cracks. I looked back to the two intruders, the slobber like froth trundled down my maw making me look rabid as I rumbled further, their senses fixed on the window evidently having perceived the cry I had too. Balto was slowly waking up, the sound of his heart beating more rapidly, his breathing thickening and movements slowing as everything caught up with him.

 My attention focused more on the trespassers than my awaking brother, he was stuck inside there wasn’t much he could do. Unforgiving eyes watching Ali as she got nearer and jumped up onto the veranda above me, she headed for a window her paws light but still causing the creaking slats to sing a painful song. Standing on hind legs two front paws on the window sill and a nose pressing against it trying to see inside through the curtains providing no access upsetting her. She moved back above me clawing at a breach in the veranda trying to pry it open, her claws scarring the innocent wood, as I snarled permitting it to hiss and ripple in the direction of her.

 Breaking my train of thought was the large thud that collided into the wall lacking warning, the unclear grumpy whimper riled in the house. Paws pacing out of line trying to gain stability as I continued my fit of woofs and barks. Ali still attacking the porch above and the grey wolf not far off yapping as if he didn’t know the ancestries he contained, a simple awareness he seemed to have. Balto stumbled, tripped, colliding with the wall again before shaking his head, ears flapping slapping his face before his front end lifted, heaving itself, tightening muscles in his hind legs swelled and the curtains ruffled with a nose tunneling about to see out the window.

 The foggy breath glazed the window in a display of grey smog as an ebony nose bared itself to the light; two white marks down his upper lips gleamed intensely in the light as he blinked and shifted trying to see the commotion outside. Nose twitching; like that of an itty bitty rabbit that would casually be seen as cute. This large muzzle however eventually spread, the circular shape of a funnel snapped together heavily, the clashing bangs like thunder as Balto’s saliva ran down his jowls, some forming large slobbery webs from top jaw to bottom as the echoing barks that were deep, and well certainly pissed off emitted from the lungs which held so much air. He lunge at the window, ears perked up, tail raised stiff and high as the growl rumbled in the barks catching the attention of Ali and Buster in the yard.

 The two intruding flea bags jumped as the 85 pound husky threw his body into what was obviously a sturdy piece of glass. His muscles rippled under his thick coat as the grey wolf ‘Buster’ began yapping at the window, he sat casually like he was safe and provoked the fuming attack dog. Ali’s tail rose as she saw Balto, she leaped off the porch and ran to the window. Her ears erect upon her head, her tongue hanging out and tail racing fast as she jumped up at the window licking at it trying to get Balto’s attention.

 Once his eyes shifted from Buster to her she spun around wiggling her rump in front of him but, that wasn't the best idea. The large dark midnight dog became a blur throwing himself again at the window an untaught unkempt line drew itself upon the window. Sounding like ice the window was cracking under the mass weight of the husky, a bothered moan emitted from the house, it wasn’t Balto, and Basilio immediately snapped his head to look at the underside of the house. Fern stretched and yawned stridently as she rolled over rubbing her face; she could hear the commotion and already had a headache.

 She was drunk, drunk as a homeless man, but she slowly stumbled to her feet, she bumped into the oak dining table and scrabbled around until the obvious clink of metal sliding hit my ears. I sunk back into the depths of the porch sanctuary and looked out at Ali and Buster unaware of what was coming. Balto still jumped at the window, paws smudging saliva all over its surface painting a picture as he continued to alarmingly send out the message of intruders he didn’t agree upon. Fern coughed as she wrapped her hand around the weapon she pulled it to her chest and fumbled around trying to open the 6 bullet barrel to check it was loaded.

 She moved towards the fireplace, thankfully not lit as she leaned into the frame made of solid rocks, she reached up holding the gun uneasily in one hand. She grabbed at the small box pulling it down and dropping it she grouched and knelt down stumbling forward as she caught the empty gun and began pulling at the box lid opening it to get to the bullets within. She held the open barrel awkwardly as she tried to put a bullet into the empty slots; she squinted her eyes and almost threw the lot as she dropped one.

 “[i]Si I will shoot aquellos perros.[/i]” She mumbled in Mexican to herself as she grabbed another bullet this time sliding it into the cozy tunnel. She placed 4 bullets in the gun and eventually gave up after dropping the others. She turned and looked at Balto by the window.

 “[i]Balto venir aquí![/i]” she demanded heavily.

 His teeth snapped shut as his heavy build dropped from the window, Ali and Buster now frozen as they watched the empty window and curtain swaying. Their eyes trailed along the wall listening to the rhythm of the paws hitting the creaky wood and the uneven steps of Fern heading to the door. Keys rattling and my own frame curled up tight as I watched both Ali and Busters reactions. The door slowly slid open and Balto rushed out.

 “[i]Deje que el perro loco[/i]” The heavy voice shouted as she raised her arm the short thin barrel reaching for the sky as she pulled the trigger and fired a shot.

 The orange fuzz ball of Ali was already scampering off, tail between her thighs and ears against her cranium. Balto froze just above my head as he was ready to attack the grey wolf mutt. It stood frozen in the yard, eyes look at the woman with the weapon which most would run from. He met eyes with Fern who stumbled forward a few steps and aimed towards its head before shouting, “[i]shoo usted filthy perro![/i]” her arm shook a moment as the wolf tilted his head. The loud explosion of the ammunition being fired echoed over the dehydrated land as the wolf yelped and scuttled away, straggling after Ali’s tracks.

 Balto barked as he stood on the edge of the porch he watched the wolf stop not far off obviously not getting the hint as he turned to wander back. Fern began to utter words under her breath and I bolted out from under the porch as my brother’s feet hit the floor and ran close at his flank heading for the wolf.

 I stopped at the homestead gate watching Balto rush at the wolf, jaws snapping and teeth clashing as he leaped off of tensed hind legs front paws extending as his maw opened wide greeting the oblivious young wolf with an eruption of snarling and shattering bites. Buster now struggled; he was crying and calling for help as I watched. Fern walked over gun loosely hanging in hand aimed at the ground as she beamed a certain grin, knowing that wolf would never after learning this lesson.

 Balto’s fang sunk into the wolf’s shoulders, sides, legs, back, and neck or face as he tackled him down he tore at what he could though he didn’t fully aim to kill. He was warning this mangy mutt that this was his territory and only those who lived there could enter. Calming down and he held tight, his large paw on the wolf’s chest as he growled down to him through clenched jaws around his jugular.

 This was a very strong warning as the wolf submitted and once the heavy ball of muscle and fur got off he rolled over and scampered off. Proud in his mind, Balto pranced back to Fern who still had squinted eyes and was glaring down at the orange American Indian Dog that seemed too interested in Balto and I. My tongue slapped my nose again as he woofed lightly looking up to Fern, Balto’s eyes followed her gaze and he pulled a lip at the female in the distance though she stood ready to run fern whispered something lightly “[i]copia de seguridad de los niños,[/i]” the simple request of back up boys. I moved around Fern and followed at Balto’s flank we stopped by the tree in the yard and watched as she headed towards the young dog.

 Balto stood uneasily, tail raised high, nose twitching, ears erect and eyes stern as he watched Fern head towards the orange dog. She put the gun into its holster, clipping the strap over it before she knelt down a mere few meters from Ali. Fingers dancing at the edge of a belt pouch pulling out two pieces of dried jerky before extending her arm offering them to the dog, her spare left arm reached around slowly and gripped the rope unhooking it from its clip readying it.

 My own eyes shifted uncertainly as I watched Ali and Fern. I tilted my head as the 16 month she dog moved towards Fern, ears low back and tail tucked, her back arched and fur fluffed up as she stopped every now and then. I could practically hear her stomach rumbling for food as she moved to Fern. Cautiously she sniffed the meat before opening her maw and taking a hold of it she lowered to the ground stomach resting on the dusty earth as she ate. Soon she was fighting; the high pitched yelp of the dog as she tugged at the rope now tight around her neck; she shook her head violently as she pulled trying to free herself of it.

 “[i]Shut up chucho![/i]”Fern shouted sternly. She tugged at the rope harshly, dragging the dog along leaving skid marks where Ali refused to move. Eventually she picked up her feet as she whined walking low to the ground on top of her tail ears back.

 “[i]Balto, Basilio guardia de la casa,[/i]” Fern called back as she headed into the distance eventually disappearing from hearing, sight and scent range. Balto and I took our separate ways, I slid myself back into my den under the porch, Balto on the other hand sat above me on the porch watching and waiting for a sign she was coming back. [/hider]

[hider=Chapter 2 – No Time for Games] 
It'd been a few days since I'd been to my home, my spender limbs drawing me forward as I edged towards regions I knew better than to enter. Bear River was home to those unfavorable to my kind, the thick collar about my neck sporting a tied Mexican flag, signalling my opposition to the natives of the region. As I moved slowly, head dangling and tail limp I'd freeze, the rumble [/hider]