The next day Sventon made his rounds about the farm, there was a degree of fear and sadness among the animals as a result of the wolf attack and he didn’t blame them. After all if the sheep hadn’t been the ones attacked it could have been one of them and that was indeed a scary thought. He had one job and that was to protect the animals that lived on the farm, he couldn’t help but feel like he failed them and wanting to be alone he made for his favorite spot in the hill overlooking the farm.
As he sat beneath the giant evergreen tree he buried his face in his paws and didn’t move the peace and solitude that being there brought felt liberating, he sighed and rolled over onto his side hoping some rest would do him so good. He was just about to close his eyes when he heard a familiar voice call out to him.
“Well there you are Sventon, if you don’t hurry up the others are gonna leave without us?”
“What’s going on Daisy, sounds like it’s something big.”
“That’s the understatement of the month.” She chuckled and gave Sventon a playful nuzzle, her sapphire blue eyes shining in the fading sun.
“A bear was spotted in the forest, it hadn’t tried anything yet but if it’s dumb enough to try anything we’ll be ready for it.
Sventon paused and gulped nervously, there was only one bear that he knew of that roamed those woods and that was Umaldi.
“Daisy go and grab the others, I’ll be there shortly.” With that he took off towards the forest leaving the collie with a confused look on her face, he ran faster than he ever had before and hoped that he wouldn’t be forced to choose between Umaldi and his friends.
As he approached Umaldi's cave he couldn’t help the feeling that he was being watched, his ears perked up at the sound of a twig snapping behind him and his fur rose in anger as he turned to face the source of the noise.
“Alright show yourself I’ll give you three seconds to come forward and if you don’t I’ll hunt you down and make you pay.”
Take it easy Sventon, it’s just me.” Daisy walked out from behind the tree and shook her head giving Sventon a disapproving look.
“You followed me here didn’t you?”
“Yes I did and you led me right to the bears cave, thank you Sventon you made our job so much easier.”
She then turned and let loose with a loud howl, no doubt alerting the others to their location. Sventon looked at her a horrified look look forming on his muzzle, he couldn’t believe what was happening the reality slowly sinking in that he might have to face his friends in order to protect a Umaldi who up until this point hadn’t hurt anyone and had always been minding his own business.
“Daisy what are you doing, you can’t do this this isn’t right.”
“The job I was bred and trained for, I’m sorry Sventon, I don’t have a choice.”
“Everyone has a choice Daisy, now if you’ll excuse me I’ve made mine and I will protect my friend”
“Then you have no business being a hunting dog with a heart as soft as yours, I’ve known since day one there would always be a chance you couldn’t bring yourself to do what needs to be done.” “Glad to see I wasn’t wrong.”
She then slowly advanced towards Sventon growling softly at first, but as she neared Sventon she was snarling with her fangs laid bare ready to sink them into his flesh if need be.
Sventon had been so busy dealing with Daisy that he hadn’t noticed Umaldi approaching, the Grizzly first looked at Sventon casting his gaze to the snarling Beagle and back again, a look of confusion on his face.
“Sventon are you alright, what’s happening here?” Umaldi had until now lived quite a peaceful existence, he hadn’t yet had to worry about the threat of hunters only having heard about them from the other animals. But here was
Sventon along with another dog at his cave no less, he was determined to get to the bottom of this and figure out why this beagle was here.
“I don’t know why you’re here but if you don’t leave I will rip you apart.”
“You don’t scare me, bear and as for I’m here, why don’t you ask your friend Sventon.” Daisy replied with a wide grin on her face as she continued to advance towards Sventon.
“Umaldi I’m so sorry I came to warn you, she followed me here and the humans are coming to hunt you down. I’m so sorry I didn’t mean for this to happen.”
Umaldi paused processing what he had just heard, he had lived in the forest for years and had never harmed anyone and now the thing he had feared the most was coming to pass.”
“No Sventon I’m not leaving you here, if they are coming after me I will defend my home .” Sventon hung his head and shame, he had hoped to avoid a confrontation by coming to warn Umaldi. But even with his best intentions the very thing he had hoped to avoid was occurring. Sventon stood up and cast Umaldi a stern look causing the bear to freeze.
“Umaldi get out of here I’ll hold them up and give you time to escape.”
“Be careful Sventon, promise me.” “I promise Umaldi, now go.”
With that Umaldi turned and darted off, he hoped Sventon would be safe from harm and that he could handle himself. I’ll come back for you Sventon I promise.
Daisy growled and using all her strength head butted Sventon in the chest, his eyes went wide as he struggled to breathe. Before he knew it he was on his back with Daisy pinning him by placing her forepaws on his chest. “Now look at what you’ve done Sventon, you let him get away.”
You think I was going to let you hurt him, he’s my friend and there is no way I was gonna let you or the others kill him.”
“Well it’s good to know where your loyalty lies, you had better hope the others take it well or there might be trouble.” Daisy growled her words dripping with venom, she continued to put her weight down on Sventon's chest making it harder for him to breathe.
“Maybe I should tell the others you let that bear get away, tell them that when you had him in your sights you became soft as tissue paper.”
Just then their owner arrived with a gun and a look of relief on his face, happy that nothing had happened to the two, “Good boy Sventon, Good girl Daisy you two sure scared that bear off.” “Come on, let's all go home and get some sleep.”
Daisy and Sventon followed him, Sventon taking care to remain stride for stride with him, he was eager to put as much space between him and Daisy as possible given the current situation.
As soon as the sun rose the next morning he would go out and find Umaldi, he had hoped wherever the bear had chosen to hide that he was ok. There was also making sure that Daisy didn’t follow him, to that end he would be as quiet as he could and sneak out through the kitchen while everyone else was still asleep. It wasn’t going to be easy seeing most of the floorboards creaked but it was a risk he was willing to take.
He stood up and slowly tiptoed his way across the room pausing to glance over at Daisy curled up in her basket at the foot of the bed, he knew if she woke up his journey to find Umaldi would be over before it began.
As he approached the door he cast one last look over at Daisy and began to step over the threshold into the hallway.
Just then the floorboard lightly creaked and Sventon gasped looking back over his shoulder at Daisy who lightly stretched before resuming her sleep, her light brown fur gently ruffled by the breeze the ceiling fan overheard provided.
Letting out a small sigh of relief Sventon walked down the hallway leading to the kitchen, the sunlight just beginning to filter through the windows filled the room with pale yellow rays. As Sventon made his way into the kitchen he paused and glanced over his shoulder to make sure he wasn’t being followed, as he approached the door he heard the creak of floorboards and he gulped slowly turning around to see who was there.
“Just where do you think you’re going this early in the morning pup?” The voice belonged to the Bloodhound of Sventon's hunting group, Ramses, his black and tan fur was fading with age slowly fading to white on his forehead, his cold piercing steel grey eyes may have their sharpness over the years but the old dogs sense of smell was still as sharp as ever.
As Sventon gazed across the kitchen at Ramses he knew he had to be careful, one wrong move and Ramses would stop him before he even set foot at the door.
“I’ll ask you one more time Sventon, where do you think you're going this early in the morning?” Ramses growled with a hint of annoyance in his voice, he slowly plodded towards Sventon until the two were face to face.
“Daisy told me what had happened in the forest yesterday, I can’t believe you had the bear in your sights and you didn’t finish him off, going soft on us eh?”
“I’m not going to hurt Umaldi Ramses, he’s my best friend. I don't care what you guys think, I'll always protect him.”
Ramses chuckled and then charged at Sventon sending the Cur flying across the door hitting the door with a loud thud which knocked the wind out of him.
“This weakness is going to get you killed one of these days pup, I don’t want to have to do this but if you continue down this road I may just have to smack some sense into you. It seems you need to be reminded where your loyalties should lay.”
Ramses growled and prepared for another charge but the sound of footsteps coming down the hallway made him pause, it was their master no doubt woken up by the loud thud caused by Sventon hitting the door.
“Whats going on in here, Ramses Sventon, come on you two get back to bed.”
“You heard the master Sventon get back to bed.” Ramses glanced back at Sventon before following him down the hall.
Sventon gingerly got to his feet and let out a small yip of pain before heading back down the hall to the bedroom, his quest to find Umaldi would have to wait until another day. He would have to keep an eye out for Ramses and plan his move very carefully.
He hoped that wherever Umaldi was that he was alright and that he was safe from harm.
As he curled up in his basket at the foot of the bed his mind raced with thoughts of Umaldi and he began to cook up a plan, the owner usually took Ramses into town that’s when he would make his escape. He grinned and closed his eyes eager to find his friend and escape the farm.
