Fate Of The Feral Fallen

JP with Lorem and Omni

Voah hadn’t considered that no one from the caravan was coming back to help. That was bad news. She dreaded the thought of using the last of their water to wash the wound.

For now, she took Gonyaul’s arm and inspected it for injury. He seemed to be better off and would manage with bruised.

The Voah surveyed the scene of the incapacitated animals around them.

One of the dogs would certainly die, and their best bet for survival was probably to replenish their food supply by harvesting some meat from its body.

One of the other dogs seemed to be in the process of suffocating and the other was likely just unconscious. She didn’t know about Gonyaul but she thought it was too much of a risk to let the animals live. They would return and try a another attack as long as they were hungry.

Gonyaul’s right forearm had a very well defined bruise in the shape of a dogs mouth. The coloration was already a melting of gradients ranging from purple to reds; the molar impressions were still visible. There were four small puncture marks where the canine teeth were able to pierce through the wrapped woolen sleeve. It was painful and he felt that there was muscle guarding from the trauma that felt like he strained them.

Gonyaul finally got back up to his feet wearily. As much as he wanted to rest, they couldn’t. He looked back down to Voah. He wasn’t about to encourage her to get moving just yet.

“We can get food from the dogs.” He surveyed the scene. The dog with the crushed face was now dead. Gonyaul thought the unconscious dog was dead, didn’t realize it was still alive. He then paused and started walking over to the slowly suffocating dog. He needed to retrieve his head wrap. He looked back to Voah.

“You think we can befriend this one? May be good to have at least one in group that knows best to survive in desert?”

She looked skeptical and lifted her arm with some difficulty, “You see what one wild, hungry animal can do… They may be beyond taming… our best bet is to take all that we can from this…”

She thought about the direness of their situation.

“If anything, we should follow their trails… animals need water too. But then we risk losing the trail of the caravan. If we are on our own, perhaps we start traveling at dusk and move through the night. We might catch back up.”

Gonyaul took a deep breath and pondered her input. He then looked in the direction the caravan had disappeared in, then did a slow turn gazing at the terrain in all directions.

“Dogs been following us for a while. Doubt tracks would lead to water sooner than lead to lost and further from final place.”

He kneeled down next to the slowly suffocating dog. The fight was out of its eyes and had been replaced with a pleading desperation. Gonyaul felt empathy for the animal and tried to see if there could be a compromise of peace between them. Dogs were pack animals. It’s pack was all gone. Perhaps it would be agreeable to a new pack; especially if they feed it?

“I think best we go after caravan. Like said, travel at night and rest during heat of day. I know how to follow stars. Have been paying attention to night sky this entire trip. If they change direction, no good for us. But if they were making straight then good.”

He straddled the dog, pinning it down easily in its weakened state. He then carefully but quickly removed the head wrapped that got tangled and knotted around its throat and mouth. The dog gasped for air gratefully once freed. It didn’t like that it was pinned but didn’t have enough energy left to put up a fuss more than whining to its friends that wouldn’t be coming to the rescue.

Gonyaul gently petted the dog and tried to calm it with some vauxian promises. He then looked to Voah.

“Let us setup camp. I gut the dead dogs, dispose of mess and prepare meat. We have meal, we have guest” he was referring to the dog beneath him. “And rest till nightfall. Then follow after caravan.”

He began putting his head wrap back on. “Sound good? Or better idea?”

She eyed the dog and then Gonyaul.

Talking at length in the heat and exhaustion was a chore, so she signed when she could, "The thought of one hanging around camp makes me uneasy... and there is another... still alive. Just there at the top of the dune."

She wasn't completely opposed to the idea of having a companion and hunting animal, but she wanted Gonyaul to understand that it was a big risk.

“Make feel better if I bind legs and mouth? I once seen shepherd in Helias break the legs of lamb to teach it to trust master.”

He looked to the top of the dune. “We need to get back up there and gather things. You ready to move? Or need more time?”