~*~Designer Dogs (Part 21 added 9/19)~*~

[SkySmoke]

PART 6

As they reached the bottom of the hill one of the first dogs to greet them was a puppy. He was various shades of brown, the lightest color being almost a cream, with startling blue eyes and a short bob tail. There were markings on his coat that reminded Mystic of a treasure map. He was obviously a designer puppy. He ran up to Nitro as fast as his little legs could carry him and he almost ran into the big wolf.

"You guys are back! Was it scary? Did you have fun? Who is the new dog? She's blue! I love blue! My eyes are blue!" He spoke in a high pitched excited voice, a million miles an hour. Nitro laughed.

"Yes we are back, and everyone is safe, which is what matters. You will get to meet Mystic soon enough." He picked up the puppy by the scruff of his neck, which he didn't seem to notice.

"Mystic? That's a cool name, it starts with M like my name does."

Mystic giggled and looked up to see a dog coming forward to take the puppy. She had to look a few times because this dog was one of the weirdest she had ever seen. She too was different shades of brown; the same colors as Max, only she was white as well. Her markings were mostly in the cream color, and her eyes were also cream. Her markings were very defined, like they had been drawn on rather than actually part of her fur. They were mostly tribal looking stripes, a few swirls, what looked like a sun on her shoulder, and what could be a moon on her back leg. Her face was half white and half tan, split in the middle by a perfectly straight line, and her ears were the opposite color of the side of her face. The ear on the tan side was white, and the ear on the white side was tan. The most unusual part of her was her tails. Mystic was shocked when she stepped up to take the puppy and wagged her tails; she had three of them! Two white ones and a tan one in the middle.

"Sorry Nitro, you know how Max is, he just gets so excited." She took Max from Nitro and held him gently in her mouth.

"Not a problem Josie, I just know if I don't get a hold of him he will throw himself at Mystic, and we want her to get settled first."

Josie set Max on the ground.

"Go play with your friends Max. If I see you near Mystic before she has been introduced to the pack you will be in big trouble."

Max's ears drooped, then he raced off to join the other puppies. Josie laughed then turned to Mystic.

"Sorry about my little brother, he gets very excited when new members to the pack come. I'm Josie, welcome home."

"Thank you, and don't worry about Max, I think he's cute."

Josie smiled before walking off to join the rest of the pack, her three tails wagging softly behind her. Mystic turned to Gia and asked softly.

"Three tails?"

"Yup. Different isn't it? I'm sure Josie will tell you her story once you get to know her. That's the thing about this place, your story is yours to tell. If you don't want to tell it, you're accepted just the same."

"I think I like it here already."

As they walked through the valley Mystic noticed that everyone seemed to live in things that resembled huts or caves, and they had all been built by boulders or fallen trees. Some of the bigger ones looked like they had been dug into the side of the hills around them. The group walked to a big, natural cave at the back of the valley. They all went inside and sat down. Nitro spoke.

"Welcome home Mystic. I won't get into too much detail about what the pack is about because I know you are tired and want to rest and probably wouldn't remember most of it anyhow. I will tell you, everyone in the pack has a job. You won't know what you are good at until you try a few things, but think about what you like to do and we will start there. Some people are hunters and they supply the food. Some are builders, i'm sure you saw all the living quarters on the way here. Some babysit, some are healers. There are a lot of things around here, and you will find your place, just give it time. I will have our healer, Haven, come take a look at you and give you something to help your sore muscles, and then you will be left alone to rest."

"Thank you. And thank you for bringing me here. I know I would not have survived without you guys."

"Don't thank me, thank Black for that. He is pretty much the one who picks who comes here. I actually told him we didn't have any more room, so for him to defy orders and bring you anyways...he must think you are special."

Mystic looked at Black who growled deep in his throat then spun around and left the cave without saying a word. Nitro smiled.

"Don't pay attention to him, he wants everyone to think he is made of steel. You'll get to know him eventually. Ah, hello Haven. I am glad you are here. Please make sure Mystic is ok. We will leave you to your work. Mystic, enjoy your rest."

Mystic turned to see who Nitro was speaking to and saw a wolf with a red feather hanging around its neck standing at the entrance to the cave. Her colors reminded Mystic of a sunset; bright red with lighter shades of a peachish pink, and random swirled designs in white with some darker purple points. Her eyes matched the purple/burgandy tints in her coat. As she stepped into the cave Nitro, Gage and Gia got up and walked out.

"Hello, I'm Haven, the pack healer."

"I'm Mystic...but everyone probably knows my name already. What does a healer do?"

"Helps pack members feel better. I know which plants are good for sickness or pain, and I can tell when someone is hurt or sick, sometimes before they know."

"How do you do that?"

"Smells. Sickness and pain smell different from the rest of your body. It took me a while to figure out why sometimes some wolves smelled different, or sometimes just one part of their body did, but once I realized it I wanted to help, so I became the pack healer. Now, do you mind if I check you so you can rest?"

"Um...sure, go ahead."

Mystic stood up and Haven walked around her, slowing sniffing. She paid the most attention to Mystic's legs and feet. She finished and came to stand in front of Mystic again.

"You are fine. Tired I'm sure but you are not injured or sick. Let me get something that will help the soreness in your muscles."

Haven left the cave and returned carrying a plastic bowl in her mouth.

"A bowl? Isn't that a human thing?" Mystic questioned as Haven set it on the ground in front of her.

"Yes. We pick up certain discarded things outside the city. They are useful. Drink this."

"What is it?"

"A healer never tells their secrets. It will help you sleep, and will help your muscles recover."

Mystic shrugged. She figured if they wanted to kill her, they wouldn't have bothered dragging her all the way here to do it. She lapped up all the liquid in the bowl, even though it tasted awful.

"Good. Enjoy your rest." Haven picked up the bowl and trotted out of the cave. Mystic looked around and saw what looked like a bed at the back of the cave. She walked over to it and poked at it with her paw. It was a fabric of some sort, she wasn't sure what, but it was soft. She walked onto it, curled in a ball and laid down and was in a deep sleep in a matter of minutes.

[Ƥσиιɛ]

Yay!! Part 6! I lurve this story

[SkySmoke]

Yay!! Part 6! I lurve this story

Aw Thanks for reading. I didn't really think very many people would

[ShadiSin]

*-*

So far I have read every part - and I loved it all <3

[rainingdarkness]

I don't generally like the idea of using CS pets as characters, but this is an interesting story and I look forward to reading more of it. C:

[SkySmoke]

PART 7

Mystic slept; a deep, dreamless sleep for the first few hours. Then the dreams started. They were unlike any dreams she had ever had before. Rather than being movie-like they were more like flashbacks. Small pieces of her life flashing before her. Her humans picking her up for the first time as a puppy. Moving into a new house. Meeting new people. Being trained. Going on vacations. Spending long, rainy days curled up on the couch watching movies or just sleeping as the people read or played games.

Then came the unhappy memories. The drive out of the city the day they left her. Eating lunch. Remembering that they seemed sad, but not really knowing why. Playing fetch. And then, the worst memory of all; the last time they threw the ball. Spinning around to see them getting in the car. Running as fast as she could to make sure they didn't forget her, or that she didn't get in trouble for not coming when called. The panic that set in when she realized they were leaving her on purpose. The loneliness she felt walking up to the gates of the city that used to be her home, but being rejected because she had no collar. The panic again as she realized she had to find a place to stay for the night.

Black was curled up near the cave entrance watching her sleep. He knew the first week or two were the worst. It was generally a pack rule that they left new members alone to deal with the hurt themselves, but there was something that drew him to Mystic. A strange need to protect her. He had felt it that first night, when she ran past him in a blind panic as she realized she couldn't get in the city gates. It was why he had followed her until she found a place to rest. It was why he went against Nitro's wishes and brought her back to the pack, and it was why he now laid quietly at the entrance and watched her sleep.

She twitched as she slept, the way so many dogs did when they dreamed. It started off with just her feet, but when the bad parts came her entire body would move and she would whine and whimper. A few times he almost got up to wake her, but decided he might do more harm than good. After a while she woke up with a gasp. He knew she couldn't see him, so he laid perfectly still. He could hear her get up and pace the cave slowly; most likely trying to forget her dreams. He heard her whimper to herself a few times before turning in a few circles and curling up in a ball to sleep again, but he could tell from her breathing she wasn't asleep. He listened for a while as she got up and paced again, then laid back down. Finally he couldn't take it anymore.

"Are you okay?" He asked quietly, not wanting to scare her.

"Who's there?"

"Black."

"What are you doing here?"

"I...sleep here the first night to make sure new people are okay." He lied, saying the first thing that came to mind other than the truth. It wasn't a complete lie; he was sleeping there to make sure she was okay, he just didn't do it for everyone.

"Oh. I'm...I'll be fine."

"You don't sound fine."

"I'm sad, I guess I'll be sad for a while. It's weird sleeping here. I'm not used to sleeping alone I guess, or outside. I'll get used to it."

She curled back up in a ball in the back of the cave. He stood up, stretched, and walked over by her.

"Did you want me to lay back here with you?"

"I don't care...do whatever you want." She replied shortly; her coldness from earlier that day returning. He didn't bother responding but laid down next to her, their backs touching as he curled up facing away from her. A few minutes later he felt her sigh and heard her breathing change as she drifted back to sleep. He rested his head on his front paws and gazed out the opening of the cave. He knew it wasn't the first time she would wake up; it was going to be a long night.

[Ƥσиιɛ]

Aww, Black's got a soft side.

[SkySmoke]

Aww, Black's got a soft side.

Shhhh! Don't let him hear you. Lol

[Ƥσиιɛ]

Lolz!

[stallion220011]

very nice story can't wait for more!