Killing Blow

Voah stood up with some effort and let out a heavy sigh.

"Yes... I can move."

She had mixed feelings about binding the animal and she didn't like the idea of breaking the animal, but understood that those sorts of things were done for a reason and liked where Gonyaul's heart was at.

"We can hardly manage to care for ourselves out here. It would have to be on a lead and muzzled, or worse, carried. I'm sorry darling, I know how you feel about killing... but I will do it."

Gonyaul tried to find an excuse; however, he could not. Voah was right. In any other circumstance he could have taken on the extra burden. Not out here, not in this environment and in their current condition. If they were still with the caravan it would have been completely feasible.

His heart dropped into his stomach. It wasn’t fair. He could see a favorable outcome within reach, but truly it was just out of reach.

He sadly released his idea of befriending the animal. Gonyaul nodded to Voah and looked apologetically to the dog.

“Make it quick, please.” He forced out.

She moved over to him and gently touched his cheek, turning his face to hers and looking him in the eyes. "I'm sorry but it must be done, nnn? For our safety. I will not let us die in this cursed place."

Gonyaul nodded and positioned himself in a way that continued to pin the dog and give Voah access to its head and neck region.

“You are right.” He whispered and closed his eyes. He didn’t want to see the killing blow.

Voah pecked his saturnine mouth with dry and cracked lips of her own and moved over to swing her blade across the dog's neck. She followed this by pressing the blade into the jugular of the other two beasts to ensure their finality and was shocked to find that one of the dogs was simply unconscious. She jumped back a bit as it kicked and sputtered for a moment and had to finish the deed that she had started as swiftly and cleanly as she could to put it out of its misery. Her arm hurt badly and began to bleed through the wrap.

A single tear escaped his closed eyes as the potential probability of a life together with the desert dog, turned pet, vanished. It was amazing, even to him, he quick his heart went towards loving this feral creature, not for what it currently was, but what it could have been. He could feel the life leave it as the body beneath him went limp. Gonyaul proceeded to slowly rise , the one tear that barely could form itself had already evaporated.

He too was shocked that the other dog was not dead. The burst of excitement rekindled his adrenaline after it had crashed earlier after the fight ended.

Gonyaul began helping Voah up the dune, it would be a team effort. He truly hoped there wouldn’t be much trouble at the top waiting for them.