Daryk and Kain
This is a short about a boy who has suffered abuse and finds a new reason to live.
Daryk and the dogs
The dogs barked into the night. No light penetrated the dark storm clouds. The boy sat alone among them. Lightning flashed and thunder rolled across the skies. With each explosion of sound and coruscating light the small animal in the out building flinched and snuggled deeper into the boy's arms.
Whimpering was a thing for older animals, this little pup was new and lucky as it was the only survivor of a litter of four. Daryk knelt in the center of the milling animals and hugged the puppy to his chest gently. He flinched with each echoing blast but the little animal was close to frantic. It yowled and moaned for its mother but she was cold and dead with her other pups.
Daryk was it's only hope for life.
Then through the flashes and roaring noise another sound was growing. Someone sang an outrageous and bawdy song. It was coming ever closer to the cramped little shed.
With each blast from the sky the singing was drowned out, but as the deafening sound faded the ominous song was always closer. Daryk looked at the weak and defenseless puppy in his arms. His father would drown the poor thing out of 'mercy'.
But Daryk knew his father had a penchant for killing things. Though he tended to stay away from the dog kennel, he had been known to strangle a runt or drown an unwanted pup. Daryk knew there would be no possible way to save his pup from what his father might do if he found it.
It was his now. There was no doubt in him. The little animal had not even opened its eyes and he knew it would be his until he or it died. The poor animal would be long dead but for his care. It was little more than a day old.
Daryk's father had been away from home when the mother had died after giving birth. The supply of alcohol had been almost depleted. If father is one thing, it's responsible when it comes to ordering more ale... Daryk thought as he stood and tucked the pup into an old stall blanket.
After the dog was secreted behind one of the posts in a dry place where none of the others could trample it Daryk took the little bowl of milk and dumped it in with the scraps that he was told to feed the dogs. He crossed the yard to the small two roomed shack and marveled at the lack of rain. Usually the storms brought heavy rain with the thunder and lightning. The lack made him shiver.
His father entered not long after he did. The big man was followed in by something disturbing. The wafting fumes of alcohol filled the house and made Daryk's eyes water.
The stench was a normal one, but what was not normal was the strength of the smell. It wafted after him as if he had bathed in the strong drink. Daryk shrunk back into the corner on his small stool.
Too many memories swirled in his mind. The strong smell of alcohol sparked many he'd tried to forget. Pain mixed with hunger and ache from older already healing injuries.
Daryk flinched when his father ran his eyes over the small room. The dark orbs seemed to pause on him for a second before moving on. Daryk prayed to whatever god existed that his father had drunk too much to go right into the beatings.
They were worse when Daryk flinched and moaned. But he was able to hold both back as his father after his first mistake, his father turned to the hearth and ladled some of the cooling stew Daryk had made for the evening meal into his slightly slack jawed mouth.
The memories always faded away with the coming of morning. But whenever the smell of strong drink touched his nose Daryk felt fear grip his gut in an iron tight fist. Relief flooded him as his father returned to his lewd song and opened the door to his room.
It had been several weeks. The puppy was now able to eat most anything of the right size. But the little rascal preferred Daryk's shoe.
Daryk smiled down at the little runt and swooped down to pick it up. It yelped and wriggled in his hands but he snuggled it against his chest and bent his face down into its thickening fur. The prickly hair tickled his nose and nearly made him sneeze.
It smelled of hay and dust, but under that there was an odd sweet smell he had never been able to understand. The dog relaxed and Daryk's warmth was slowly making it drift into sleep. With as little eagerness as he'd ever had for anything he placed the puppy back in its bed and went back into the cottage he shared with his father.
The evening meal was to be soup. Fresh bread bought from the farm wife next door warmed on the hearth while the small barrel of wine cooled in the cold storage built into the floor. Daryk knelt to taste the soup.
As ever it was heavily spiced to his father's tastes. He preferred light spices and maybe a contrast of spicy or sweet. But things were never as he wished.
With a sigh he turned to his stool in its corner and sat. The soup needed some more time for everything to come together, for the tastes to mix. He heard something from the rear yard and stood. Maybe father has decided to go hunting...?
Daryk moved to the door and peered into the intervening space. His father moved toward the shed followed by a drinking buddy he brought home when the man's wife chased him out. He was even more horrible than Daryk's father...
Some nights when he stayed with them he'd go into Daryk's room... those nights were even worse than the beatings. He'd tried to explain to his father, but the drunken men laughed it off. When Daryk pressed e was locked in the animal shed for three days leaving himself and the animals with no food.
Now when the other man stayed over Daryk slept in the shed with the dogs. He'd learned to stay out until morning even if he had to hide... somewhere else. A few times Daryk had been found sleeping in the shed. His father had beaten him worse for that, screaming that he didn't need a boy "scarin' his dogs into worthlessness".
But the dogs loved to share the shed with him. He knew they did. Just like he knew they would have attacked his father or the other man if given the chance and a reason.
He knew this because when they looked at his father without him nearby, they lowered their ears and fluffed out like hedgehogs. he saw in their eyes, if they could they'd tear them both to pieces. But Daryk didn't want this... he was just a boy. His fourteenth summer was coming. He couldn't work to feed himself or the dogs. Without his father they would all starve... or Daryk would anyway. The dogs could be set free to scavenge or hunt in the forest.
His father stumbled into the shed then back out in an instant his nose wrinkling with distaste. "Boy get out here!"
Daryk sighed heavily and left the house letting his face go blank. It was always easier on him if he pretended to be stupid. He moved with a slow step and a slightly gaped mouth.
"Weren't you supposed to clean out that fucking shed boy?!" His father was already red from the booze. His anger added slightly purple splotches to his face.
"Yes," It was best to keep it short so he wouldn't appear to argue.
"What's that smell?" Daryk's father nearly screamed his hands shaking.
"One of them pooped," Daryk said in his meekest voice.
For some reason his father normally relented when Daryk appeared to act weak and scared, which he was... just not as much as he acted. His father liked to make him scared and small. But this time the normal act wasn't working. Instead of being placated by Daryk's act he grew angrier. his body nearly trembled with suppressed rage.
There was a moment of dawning fear in Daryk's eyes before heavy hands closed on the back of his neck and right shoulder. He was thrust into the near dark of the shed and could smell the faint stench of feces. The dogs turned their eyes on him as he stumbled in still being guided by the tight grip on his shoulder and neck. "I-I'll clean it right now father."
The drunken men laughed and with a shove Daryk was on the floor. There was movement off to the side but Daryk ignored it as his hand strayed to his scalp. When he'd fallen his head bounced off of something. His fingers were covered in blood. With the little light from the doorway the blood looked black on his fingers.
Daryk shivered and tried to keep from vomiting as pain started to fill his head. As he began to refocus on the world around him he noticed things had changed in the shed. His puppy stood licking his blood from the wound on his head and the other three males had moved to the door with their ears laid back and their sharp teeth showing in vicious growls.
"Boy call off these mongrels!" His father screamed as he and his friend backed away from the shed. "Now! Before I get rid of the lot of you!" Daryk rose onto his hands and knees feeling dizzy. With effort he rose to his feet.
He took a step toward the door and his vision swam for a moment. "How?" His voice was hollow and his eyes were having trouble focusing. This makes no sense, my head... from a fall? He looked on the floor of the shed searching slowly as his mind drifted from thought to thought slowly. There, on the floor next to the first stall for pregnant dogs... a small pool of blood. He had smacked his head on the hard wooden rail separating the birthing area from the rest of the shed.
Female dogs could be vicious with new pups. So they had to be separated from the rest. Daryk's mouth felt dry and he was beginning to lose what little focus he had. He was also getting very tired.
He woke to darkness. A small furry lump and several larger lay on and around him. His eyes were open but there was no light. For a moment he panicked thinking he had gone blind.
"Ugh... f-father?" His mouth was dry as his throat. He tried to move but there were too many furry bodies lying around him. They were all warm and made him want to lay back down and sleep. No one answered his call but the small bundle on his lap walked up his body to lick his face.
"Least you're still alive my pup... he didn't kill you." He chuckled at himself for being a fool talking to a dog.
He wasn't sure why but he thought his pup was smiling at him. With a shrug he slowly lay back and stroked the dog's fur till it lay down too. The animal curled on his chest and was asleep in moments.
Must be in the shed... father must have locked us in when I fell asleep. Well my head doesn't hurt...as much. He sighed and reached up to touch the wound. It's clean, and there's a scab. The dogs must've kept it clean till it closed. I hope it doesn't get infected. I know those are nasty and need a healer to deal with them.
He didn't feel much different. His body was a little cold in the mid spring night. But the dogs keep the worst of the cold away. His... lower area felt normal so nothing had happened to him while he was sleeping. That was a relief. He smiled into the dark and rolled to his side laying the pup in front of him. Just as he was drifting off the others repositioned themselves around him. He smiled again and stroked the ones nearest his hands till he slept again.
There was a flurry of movement and the sounds of eleven throats growling. Daryk woke and covered his eyes as the milling mass of dog flesh let the light of day fall onto his unshielded eyes. The adult dogs looked out the now opened door.
Daryk waited for his eyes to adjust before he could see what had them so excited. His father stood on the other side with other men. Daryk rose to his knees and stared at them.
"Come on boy just be slow and come on out. They won't attack if they don't think you're a threat." The oldest man said, in his hands he carried a mallet and a knife.
"What...?" his mind was still not comprehending what the men wanted. All five of the men were armed and stood waiting. "Why would they attack me?"
"Just come on out. Your pa told us how they went feral and attacked you both." his eyes strayed to the large scab on the side of his head. "Just come out of there slow and we'll deal with them mongrels."
"But... but they didn't attack me, I got this from..." He looked at his father and saw the order behind his eyes. "F-from my father. He pushed me into the shed and I fell against the railing." Daryk said looking at the old man. "These are my dogs... even if he owns them. I clean them and feed them. They are mine. I-I think if he was attacked it was because they were protecting me." Daryk looked from man to man trying to find someone on his side.
The old man and the other two Daryk didn't know looked at his father and as one seemed to ask without words if it were true. The drunk roared "If he keeps them clean how come I found shit in there yesterday?! He's a fucking lying little piece of trash. Let's kill these mutts, then I can deal with my son."
"You threw your son into a rail because you found feces in a pen where you keep dogs? Did you see more than one? Did you even look? I've heard rumors about you Rowel, I've heard how you liked to beat women till none would let you. Now I see you must have chosen a new target. Is that bruise on his chest from you too?" The old man asked his voice rising too.
Daryk looked down at what he could see of his chest and saw the brown-yellow splotches of a mass of healing bruises. He covered himself quickly feeling slightly shamed. Though why he would is hard to say.
The boy noticed the other drunk slinking further and further away from the confrontation. Usually he tried to avoid looking at the man. But now that his abuses were being seen for the first time... he had to tell the old man.
"S-sir...?" He tried to catch the old man's attention without leaving the shed. "Sir could I... I need to tell you something... alone please." He looked at the other two men who looked close to raising their weapons against Daryk's drunk of a father.
The old man paused in his appraisal of the drunken man. "Sure son, sure. Why don't you come out of there and we can have a talk." He said as he turned to the other men. "Keep him here... I want to have the magistrate come and see what can be done about this."
Daryk looked at the now calm animals around him and for some reason didn't want to leave them. "Could you just come in here?" He looked at his father and the other drunk who was on the verge of the yard. "Please? They won't hurt you." He motioned to the dogs around him.
"A-alright lad, alright." He looked to his friends and nodded once before entering the smallish shed. "Now what did you have to tell me." the dogs turned their attention on him. Which made the man nervous.
"I... I needed to tell someone and... and you seem like you'd care." he paused and tried to think of how to say it. "My... my father's friend," He pointed at the man. "Sometimes when father is too drunk to hear... he comes... into my room." The old man lost interest in the dogs and stared at him as if he had three heads and all of them spat fire.
"Are you saying...?" He stopped unable to even say it.
"He... I told my father but he laughed at me." He felt himself close to tears for some reason. The memories were still held at bay but flashes of those nights made it to him. Sweat, blood, the smell of alcohol, pain, and humiliation, he remembered that much and shrank from it. "He did things."
"W-what things lad..." the old man asked in a low voice.
"He treated me like-like a female." Daryk felt his throat close on the last words and he backed until a wall supported him. "He did things that you are supposed to do with a lady," He felt hot tears falling from his eyes. "I'm not a lady." The boy slid down the wall. "I'm a boy not a lady..." his voice trailed off.
The mayor watched the lad cry for a moment more then turned feeling nothing but rage. As he left the shed he pointed to one of his men and motioned for him to get the other man. "Arrest them both."
"On what grounds sir?" Asked the burly town guard.
"Rape and... I don't know but arrest them, the magistrate can sort this all out." He turned back to the shed as the two drunks tried to resist. But neither was a match for either of his men. The poor lad... no wonder he didn't want to come out. The old mayor thought as he moved closer to the door. This time two large males, one smoky grey the other nearly black, moved to stop him from entering. They weren't aggressive, but they bared the door so he couldn't go in.
As he nodded once he watched the lad. A small puppy no more than four weeks old moved forward and climbed into his lap as the boy cried. He watched and saw the boy curl his body around the pup. There was something odd about the air around him then, but the mayor couldn't say what it was. Maybe a changing in the color, but... it was hard to say in the darkness of the shed.
As Daryk finally released his pup and looked up he realized it was getting dark outside. His belly rumbled with hunger and the adult animals were hungry too. He stood and was on the verge of leaving the shed when he noticed something odd. The old man from before sat with his back on the outer wall of the shed with his feet spread in his sleep.
Daryk moved out of the shed and to the house hoping against hope no one was there. When no one grabbed him he opened the cupboard and removed bread and cheese for himself and enough beef parts for all the others. With his arms full he moved to the rear door and then out into the coming darkness.
He sat on the ground watching the dogs eat with a speed he found funny. He ate his own food sharing when one or the other of them came to investigate. The only one who didn't leave him was the small puppy. "You'll need a name little one." He scratched under its chin idly. "Kain? Do you like that name pup?" When the dog neither looked at him or moved away he smiled. "Then you're mine Kain."
He gave Kain the last of his meal and pet him while the little dog devoured it. "I'll never leave you Kain." As night settled outside Daryk curled around the now sleeping dog and felt more than saw the others settle around him. His arm snaked around his puppy a little tighter. "I love you."