Chapter Nine: Cracks

We walked through the door to find Hojan, the Sentinel, and another dog  I did not recognize at first.

“She said they can’t do anything for you.” 

The dog whom I did not recognize said, “She’s sorry but the wolves have spoken and she can do no more. You’ll have to go to the Dark Coast, you’ll have to find the seer.” Hojan puffed out his chest and took a deep breath before the Sentinel placed her hand on his head, “It’s ok,” the Sentinel sweetly said, “We don’t want to push our luck on the topic.” She patted Hojan a little bit harder, as if to warn him before she continued, “We’re thankful for all the help you and Rad have given us.” The brown dog nodded her head before turning around, “Storm? Is that you?” she asked in a stunned voice. 

I squinted at the dog, examining her. “Coco?” I asked almost breathlessly. Coco wagged her tail and came to greet me. She stopped in her tracks and asked, “Well who is that with you Storm?” looking straight at Atrix. I smiled, “Ah well that’s a little bit of a story, but his name is Atrix and he’s a fox pup traveling with us for the time.” Atrix stood as tall as he could, ‘I’m going to help the dogs of Sanctuary get back to their home. Their going to tell stories about me, you’ll see!” Coco laughed, ‘I’m sure they will dear, I’m sure they will’ she stooped down to nuzzle the little fox pup and them did the same to me.

As her snout came close to my ear she whispered, ‘Watch out for Hojan. Something seems off about him. He has that look in his eye, you know the one?” 

I froze as Hojan locked eyes with me, as if he knew what was being said even though there was no way he could actually hear it. Still I saw that look in his eyes. As if a forest fire was reflecting off of them. I shook my coat and said, ‘It was so nice to see you Coco, wish Rad the best for me won’t you?” She nodded and trotted off. 

Hojan lowered his head and I heard a growl come from deep in his throat. ‘Why?’ He asked, his eyes glued to the floor, ‘One thing after another. Whatever progress we may make is immediately set back. The Oak uses and throws us away without regard or care.’ 

The Sentinel knelt down toward Hojan and wrapped her arms around him. Hojan closed his eyes, attempting to conceal the tears which were already welling up. The Sentinel stroked the back of Hojan’s head, shushing him as she did, and holding him tight all the while. 

We could have sat in an uncomfortable near silence. You know, the kind that doesn’t lack sound as much as you just wish it would. So you wouldn’t have to listen to something so terrible as a friend going through a great pain but unable to do anything to lift such a burden from them.

I wish he would have doubted himself and his ability to lead us. I wish he would have let us comfort him. I wish he would have shown weakness and allowed us to lift him up. Allowed us to remind him of the great goal we had set for ourselves, to restore the dogs of Sanctuary to the Oak. 

I wish we would have planned to set forth on a great adventure to the Dark Coast and beyond, just the few of us. 

I would have rathered our adventure end there and they could have submitted to living in the land of the Oak. I could have gone and taken Atrix as my own, and shown him the ways of the dogs. Trained him as one of us. All of these would have been better then what happened.

Hojan tore himself away from the Sentinel’s grasp and locked eyes with me. A fire blazing in the center of them. His eyes shone nearly as bright as the moss used to light the room. ‘We’re leaving for the desert.’ 

The Sentinel sat stunned, ‘Did you not hear Coco? We should seek out the seer. Listen to what she has to say!’ 

Hojan shook his head, ‘No. The Oak has led us astray for far too long. It doesn’t want us to succeed.’ 

‘How could you say that?’ I asked him, ‘After all the Oak has done for us all!’ 

Hojan laughed, ‘What has the Oak done? It was the Oak that Drew the dark one in wasn’t it? The Oak that can’t take the dogs destroyed by its mistake. The Oak led us here, to battle the birds at what cost? How many dogs did we lose? Sent straight to the very desert we march toward now? The Oak has sent us on perilous task after ruinous mission and I will no longer listen to a tree that has done nothing but set obstacles for us to jump over for its own enjoyment. We are going to the desert and we will take it and make it our own.’ 

    ‘Then what?’ I asked, “What will you do then? Live on the edge of the land of the Oak for eternity? Stake out some dusty place in a land of chaos?’

    Hojan narrowed his eyes, ‘I will tame it. All of it. We will rule as masters over the Desert. We will dig streams from the Oasis and the grass will sprout. We will create a land for us and we will do it without the Oak. Without any of the ancient ones.’

    The Sentinel stood, ‘Hojan I know you are upset.’

    Hojan spun around to meet the Sentinels soft glaze, I saw small tear drops hit the ground by his paws, ‘If they will no stand with us then we will make our own way. We do not need the Oak. All that we need is here. With us.’ 

    The Sentinel shook her head, ‘Don’t do something you can’t undo.’

    He glared at her, ‘Well we’ve come too far for that already now haven’t we?’

    The Sentinel shrugged her shoulders, ‘I suppose we have.’ The Sentinel walked out of the room, slamming the door behind her. All that was left was myself, Hojan, and Atrix.

    Hojan glanced at us as he made his way toward the exit ‘You can leave now if you’d like we can’t waste time on your pup, Storm.’ 

    I felt Atrix struggle beneath me as I cupped his mouth with a paw. We saw Hojan leave and walk away with Buddy at his side. 

    Atrix took a few steps forward then spun around to face me, ‘Well why would you do that! Huh? You think I’m just some burden? I’m not, I can hold my own you know.’

    I took a step toward the fox pup and shushed him, carefully patting him with my paw, ‘Don’t let his words get to you too much. He’s just lashing out.’

    Atrix pushed my paw away, ‘Well that’s no excuse to be mean.’ With that Atrix began to walk away.

    ‘Just where do you think you’re going?’ I inquired of him.

    He glanced back at me, ‘Well we have to go find the seer don’t we Storm?’ I nodded and he continued, ‘Then we’ll need to find some dogs to help us.’ I laughed but Atrix kept walking. He wasn’t kidding. He was going on this journey with or without me. 

    I sighed and rolled my eyes before walking up toward him and reaching down to pick him up. He began squirming, ‘Let me up Storm I’m a big fox I can walk on my own!’ I apologized and put him down, warning him to be careful. 

    As we walked out of the building we saw most of the dogs who were busy running around before were now quite. Almost everything and everyone was ready to go. 

    Hojan was with Buddy, Opal, Hugo, and a few other dogs. As we walked by I heard their hushed whispers come to a stop as they watched. In fact every group we went by did this. If they were talking or playing before we came up once they saw us they stopped and stared. 

    Finally Atrix asked, ‘Why are they acting so weird Storm?’ I shrugged my shoulders, ‘I’m not sure, but we’ll find out.’ 

    We must have passed four or five groups of dogs before being stopped by a small corgi off of the path, a hushed whisper and a slight beckoning which implored us to come over. Once we did we saw it was Bailey, ‘What is going on with everyone Bailey?’ I asked her. She nervously glanced around, ‘It’s Hojan. He’s done something.’ 

    I glanced at Atrix and then back at Bailey, ‘What do you mean he’s done something?’ Bailey gulped and again glanced around and whispered to us, ‘He’s said the Oak has abandoned us and more! He said the Oak has tried to stop us from saving the others, those who were lost!’ I shook my head, ‘I can’t believe he would do that.’ Bailey glanced down before saying, ‘Storm that’s not all.’ She took a deep breath, ‘He said it’s your fault Bonnie died. He said you are a chosen of the Oak and can’t be trusted. Storm he said you are our enemy.’