Friday chapter IX Bonnie, Clyde and the New Farm
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CHAPTER IX
Bonnie, Clyde and The New Farm
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Summer gave into falls brisk embrace, the trees were a leafy blaze on every gust of wind. The sheep greedily ate what thin grasses they could find, the twittering of bird song was rivaled by the twitter of a shepherds whistle. Friday looked to Jake with her sure canine smile and twittered a move in command looking at her mate, then a hold them command. Jake sat on an old rock that had been used as a seat for as long as shepherds grazed a flock here, his foot was secured in a metal brace and he had to walk clumsily as a quadruped, or would it be a triruped in his case, either way he was forced to the slow pace reserved for humans and not for long, he tired quickly and his body ached with the strange new wounded gate, So he rested, as he did now on the rock listening to the newfound voice his mate had began to master, or at least ceased to continually spit on herself when she tried to use it. He stood up and hobbled to her and held her in his arms, his paws holding her tail base, feeling the muscles used to wag it.
"Now what is your command, huh?" he grinned at his mute mate
Friday nipped the tip of his nose playfully holding him, her paws were more to the point as they rested on his rump and played with his tail with her fingers, her dilemma was to communicate she needed her hands, but she was not going to give up her hold to speak. The amourus bitch hugged her mate closer, nuzzling her head to his chest all the while looking up to him. Both sighed in disappointment when they were called from the main house. Jake was particularly unhappy as he knew it would take him forever to get to the house, and there were sheep. ‘leave them, they don't need constant watching here you know, I'm the only thief in the area and we have fences here.' Friday signed.
Jake nodded and hobbled his way toward the house hating his own stubbornness for wanting to go out and try to tend sheep, perhaps the vets were right and he should just recover slowly, but that would drive him nuts with nothing to do. He mulled over the possibility of sitting in the house and just healing but then there was the thought of doing just what he was doing now, suffering all the way to the house as Friday went ahead and stopped to watch him creep toward her impatiently. Maybe taking on those odds was a bad idea in retrospect, he thought as he finally passed the final gate going toward the house where there was a white van with no windows parked. Friday was wide eyed and still, she looked scared to move but with Tiffany beckoning them over it was confusing for her, so she followed Jake slowly to the now family gathering.
Tired and sore Jake arrived at the van with Tiffany and sighed, Friday behind him trying to hide.
"what is this?" Jake asked his mistress
"Mom and Dad got some new dogs and they want us to see them, mostly because they think you two would likely attack them if you saw them and didn't know they were new to the family.
Jake looked back at Friday who was nodding now and was bravely coming forward a bit now knowing it was not a van to take her away.
Mrs. Athens smiled next to a tall thin man. "Okay," she began, "We decided to get some more dogs here and we got the kind like your dogs Tiff."
Tiffany stood up straighter much to the begrudgment of Jake who was leaning on her "really?" she said and clasped her hands together in excitement.
"Yup, they are collies, Bonnie and Clyde." She smiled at the family gathering, "they are about ten, I'll have to look it up on their papers." Mrs. Athens patted the man on the shoulder "go ahead" she said in a loud whisper and he opened the back doors to revile two collie pups. Bonnie was a split face collie, her right side was as white as white would tolerate to be, but her left side was black as if there was never a star called the sun. Her paws were gloved but her arms were black making the scarf of fur around her neck more obvious. Her tail was full and fluffy but thinner than Fridays as was her overall coat. Bonne's legs were socked in white and her tail tip looked like the tip of a paintbrush in motion. She was quite a work of art herself but her companion, Clyde had a black coat that shimmered at night, his face was like Friday's but with stronger features and stronger bone structures. His paws and foot paws were socked in brilliant white, but both looked worried and scared. They looked on the crowd that had come to greet them, and were worried about the blue mural dog that was in such bad shape and the happy looking but quiet bitch that sat back wagging her tail with her mouth open but no greeting.
"Hello there" Mrs. Athens said as she came closer to the two dogs and put her hand out. Clyde went forward right away and shook her hand stepping out the van, "hello, is this our new home?"
Mrs. Athens nodded and looked to Bonnie who was trying to be unnoticed as she still hiding in the van. "Are you okay dear?"
"Yes Ma'am." She meekly answered and stepped out the van to look about unsure.
"I know your names, but why not tell me about yourselves and we'll show you around the farm."
Clyde smiled, "that would be wonderful Mistress."
Please, mistress makes me sound like some sort of brothel girl, I'm Mrs. Athens, and on the subject of introductions," she pointed to each member in turn, "This is My daughter Tiffany, Her dogs Jake, who just got out of the hospital and is recovering, and this is Friday, she is a mute and cannot talk but I would watch out for her, she is pretty crafty, like a committee of foxes control her brain."
The two collies could swear the collie bitch was blushing with embarrassed pride but there attention was taken to Mr. Athens, "this is my husband, call him Mr. Athens and you will get along just fine"
"Introductions? What you wanna do next, invite them for tea?" Mr. Athens yelled and the two new dogs looked scared but were soothed by Mrs. Athens, "he yells a lot but he is a good man, he just expects a lot from you. And as long as you do your work you will be fine." She reassured the nervous dogs. Friday was the first to really approach them and sniff noses with Clyde her tail wagging softly before she licked his nosepad and then looked to Bonnie and greeted the shy bitch with her same dominant spirit and sniffed her nose and gave her a hug. Bonnie looked like she was about to suffer a panic attack at first but settled in and only when she was relaxed and returned the hug did Friday let her go. Both bitches looked to each other with tails wagging softly.
Jake felt something like anger when Friday licked the other dog, he knew it was a friendly greeting but still, he could not figure out why he would be angry. He shook off the absurd feeling and hobbled forward to greet the new dogs, he sniffed Clyde's nose and wagged his tail but he tried to appear bigger and lifted his head and was greeted by a soft lick on his muzzle and happily Jake looked to Bonnie who was still a bit nervous. She came forward so he would not have to move too much as it seemed it was difficult for him. she wagged her tail softly and licked his muzzle almost as soon as she was close enough. Jake smiled, "where are you two from?"
"We're from the five points Kennels," Clyde said
"Did you like it there?" Jake asked
"No, I didn't," Clyde admitted
"I was scared most of the time, if you did not work well with the sheep or commands they took you away and you never were seen again." Bonnie said and looked about as if someone would come from the air and punish her for speaking ill of her kennel.
"The humans kill the useless ones." Jake translated from Friday after a lot of poking and prodding in the ribs.
Clyde was quiet, Bonnie looked mortified, "I knew it" she whispered and seemed to shrink.
"Friday!" Mrs. Athens scolded the bitch, "you don't know that, they could have been sold as pets rather than as farm dogs. There are other uses for Genomes."
Friday shrank from the elder woman and looked to Jake who was passively looking at her. "she's right, there are genomes who live in houses all day and play ball and watch children."
Friday smiled, she could take a job herding human lambs
"Well welcome to the farm" Tiffany smiled and walked up and pet both dogs on the head, with Bonnie she did so gingerly. Both dogs were receptive but wary as if they were not sure what she was going to do but was relived when she was so warmly accepting which took the rest of the family aback.
"Tiffany, I need your dogs to show these ones the ropes and we need to talk to you in the house." Mrs. Athens smiled and coaxed her daughter in, "you two know the job, give these pups the nickel tour." She said making a shooing motion and bringing her daughter in the house at the same time.