Chapter 4: The Way It Should Be
#4 of The Mating Season: Zaldon's Story
Chapter 4: The Way It Should Be
Zaldon stayed in the summer village with his mother and Melgo for many more days, and he didn't speak to Kel and his friends again. Sometimes he saw them around the village and the dark one named Yzlo would nod at him or the little striped one would wink in his direction -- Zaldon still couldn't believe his audacity! -- but Kel firmly ignored Zaldon. And though Kel had bitten him, Zaldon was miserable that Kel was now so cold. He wanted Kel to talk to him, be his friend, even if he couldn't feel for him the way Zaldon had felt when he first laid eyes on him. But Zaldon had other things to worry about aside from Kel. His mother took him aside as they were preparing to leave Melgo's hut and she told him gently that she might be returning to the summer village to live with Melgo permanently and would Zaldon like to come with her? Zaldon was not surprised, but he was saddened all the same.
Zaldon ran from the hut into the village. His mother chased after him, but he lost her in the streets. He ran as dusk poured across the sky, tears blinding him. He could see wolves lighting the torches that lined the streets, wolves peering in concern at him, asking him if he was okay, but Zaldon answered no one and kept running. And he thought to himself that if he only ran hard enough, he could leave everyone and everything behind.
Zaldon ran so hard that he finally collided into someone. It was another pup and he tackled them hard to the ground as he fell. He scrambled back sniffing, blinded by tears, and felt his face flushing when he realized he'd fallen over on Kel. They sat there in the dirt staring at each other, and Zaldon realized that Kel was just as embarrassed.
"I was actually comin' to apologize," Kel admitted with a wince of a smile. "For biting you that day. Zaldon . . ." Kel frowned when he saw Zaldon pull his knees up, that he was sniffling with tears. "Are you all right?"
"What do you care!" Zaldon snapped into his knees.
"Well, I asked!" Kel shot back.
Zaldon's heart hammered in his chest as Kel crawled toward him through the dirt, and perching on his knees, he hesitated but touched Zaldon's head and whispered, "What's wrong?"
"My parents are splitting."
"Oh," Kel said sympathetically. "That happened to Loryn, you know. Now he lives with his dad. And he still visits his mom. Things turned out all right for him. They'll turn out the same for you."
Zaldon's heart pounded even harder when Kel wrapped him in a hug. Such a sweet, such a caring soul! And how he struggled to hide it behind all that growling, all those empty threats! Zaldon suddenly threw his arms around Kel and sobbed brokenly, sobbed about everything, sobbed and wished desperately that Kel was right, that things would be fine. He felt Kel stroking his ears and his fondness for this beautiful little pup only swelled. He wanted to kneel there holding Kel forever and never let go, but he found himself pulling back when shyness overcame him, and embarrassed all over again, the two pups found it hard to look at each other.
"Aren't -- aren't you gonna get in trouble?" Zaldon sniffed as the two of them climbed to their feet. "It's pretty late . . ."
"Yeah, I'll get in ah heap load. But sneaking out was the only way I was ever gonna get to apologize: my dad doesn't want me anywhere near you. He said if he even caught me looking at you, he'd whip me again."
"Oh," said Zaldon miserably.
Kel laughed. "Don't worry about it. He was the same way about Loryn for a long time, but he warmed to him. Just don't do anything else to make him think you're ah tail chaser or he'll scalp ya."
Zaldon laughed through his tears. "Got it."
"I'll walk you back to Melgo's. You'd just get lost in the dark since you're not familiar with the streets," offered Kel.
Kel turned and started up the street and Zaldon ran to walk beside him. He couldn't believe it! He had thought for sure that Kel hated him, and now here he was, walking at Kel's side. He wanted to take Kel's paw but knew he shouldn't. So he watched Kel happily out of the corners of his eyes, studying the way Kel walked, the way his tail moved, drinking in his smell, and loving it.
They reached Melgo's house to find Joli and Melgo standing outside, peering up and down the street. When Joli saw Zaldon, she ran desperately toward him and grabbed him by the shoulders, shaking him.
"Don't ever run off like that again!" cried Zaldon's mother, tears trailing from her eyes. She snatched Zaldon into her arms and held him tightly. "God, I didn't know what had happened to you, where you'd gone --"
Zaldon could see over his mother's shoulder that Melgo was standing there watching from the hut, his arms folded. Zaldon knew that Melgo was studying him, watching to see if he could conceal his feelings.
"I'm sorry, Mom," Zaldon said, pulling away from his mother. He smiled up at her and took her paw. "Let's go inside. We have a long journey to prepare for." And not looking back once at Kel, Zaldon led his mother into the hut by the paw.
Melgo followed after them, thinking with a fond smile, Good boy. That's the way it should be.